Carl von Linde (1842-1934), professor for theoretical Mechanical Engineering of the newly founded »Königlich Polytechnischen Schule in München«, the current TU Munich, developed, based on his own thermodynamic considerations, a new theory of refrigeration machines, which he put into practice by building his first refrigeration system in 1873. Six years later, he struck out on his own as an entrepreneur and, together with partners, founded an engineering firm in Wiesbaden that quickly rose to become the world’s leading manufacturer of refrigeration machines.

Carl von Linde returned to the Technical University in Munich as a professor in 1890, but continued to be active as an entrepreneur. He succeeded in building bridges between science and business and in laying important foundations for the successful development of entire industrial sectors, from the chemical and steel industries to the food industry. Throughout his life, he was particularly concerned with societal impact of the innovations of his time. The company’s founder taught and lived out taking responsibility for one’s own actions. The Carl von Linde Akademie aims to impart these skills especially to students of the natural sciences and engineering at the Technical University of Munich.