Nicolaus Otto

German inventor (1832–1891)
Person human Q75782
Nicolaus Otto
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Nicolaus Otto

Summary

Nicolaus Otto is a human[1]. His place of birth was Holzhausen an der Haide[2]. He was born on June 10, 1832[3]. He died in Cologne[4]. He died on January 26, 1891[5]. He worked as an engineer[6], inventor[7], entrepreneur[8], industrialist[9], and design engineer[10]. He ranks in the top 0.71% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (2,010 views/month, #7,136 of 1,000,298).[11]

Key Facts

  • Nicolaus Otto's place of birth was Holzhausen an der Haide[2].
  • Nicolaus Otto died in Cologne[4].
  • Nicolaus Otto was born on June 10, 1832[3].
  • Nicolaus Otto was born on June 14, 1832[12].
  • Nicolaus Otto died on January 26, 1891[5].
  • Nicolaus Otto is buried at Melaten-Friedhof[13].
  • A child of Nicolaus Otto was Gustav Otto[14].
  • Nicolaus Otto held citizenship in Kingdom of Prussia[15].
  • Nicolaus Otto held citizenship in Duchy of Nassau[16].
  • German was Nicolaus Otto's native language[17].
  • Nicolaus Otto's professions included engineer[6].
  • Nicolaus Otto's professions included inventor[7].
  • Nicolaus Otto's professions included entrepreneur[8].
  • Nicolaus Otto worked as an industrialist[9].
  • Nicolaus Otto's professions included design engineer[10].
  • Nicolaus Otto's professions included mechanical technician[18].
  • Nicolaus Otto's field of work was technology[19].
  • Nicolaus Otto's field of work was mechanical engineering[20].
  • Nicolaus Otto's field of work was construction[21].
  • A notable work attributed to Nicolaus Otto is internal combustion engine[22].
  • Nicolaus Otto received the National Inventors Hall of Fame[23].
  • Nicolaus Otto received the Honorary doctorate from the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg[24].
  • Nicolaus Otto is recorded as male[25].
  • Nicolaus Otto's instance of is recorded as human[26].
  • Nicolaus Otto's Commons category is recorded as Nicolaus Otto[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Born in Holzhausen an der Haide[2], Nicolaus Otto… Recorded date of birth include June 10, 1832[3] and June 14, 1832[12]. German was his native language[17].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include engineer[6], inventor[7], entrepreneur[8], industrialist[9], design engineer[10], and mechanical technician[18]. Fields of work include technology[19], an academic discipline[28]; mechanical engineering[20], a branch of engineering[29]; and construction[21], an economic activity[30].

Works and Contributions

A notable work attributed to Nicolaus Otto is internal combustion engine[22]. Things named for him include Otto cycle[31] and Otto engine[32].

Recognition

Awards received include National Inventors Hall of Fame[23], a nonprofit organization[33], in United States[34], founded in 1973[35], headquartered in North Canton[36] and Honorary doctorate from the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg[24], an award[37], in Germany[38].

Personal Life

A child of Nicolaus Otto was Gustav Otto[14].

Death and Burial

Nicolaus Otto died on January 26, 1891[5]. He passed away in Cologne[4]. He is buried at Melaten-Friedhof[13].

Why It Matters

Nicolaus Otto ranks in the top 0.71% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (2,010 views/month, #7,136 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 29 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[39] He is known by 63 alternative names across languages and contexts.[40]

He is credited with the discovery of internal combustion engine[41], an engine class[42]. Entities named for him include Otto cycle[31] and Otto engine[32].

FAQs

Where was Nicolaus Otto born?

Nicolaus Otto was born in Holzhausen an der Haide[2].

Where did Nicolaus Otto die?

Nicolaus Otto died in Cologne[4].

What did Nicolaus Otto do for work?

Nicolaus Otto worked as engineer[6], inventor[7], entrepreneur[8], industrialist[9], and design engineer[10].

What awards did Nicolaus Otto receive?

Honors received include National Inventors Hall of Fame[23] and Honorary doctorate from the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg[24].

What did Nicolaus Otto discover?

Nicolaus Otto is credited as discoverer of internal combustion engine[41].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  3. [25] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  4. [15] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  5. [16] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  6. [26] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  7. [14] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  8. [19] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  9. [20] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  10. [21] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  11. [17] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  12. [6] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  13. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  14. [8] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  15. [9] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  16. [10] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  17. [18] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  18. [13] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  19. [23] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  20. [24] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  21. [27] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  22. [3] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  23. [12] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  24. [5] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  25. [22] ↑ . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [41] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [31] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [32] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [33] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [34] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [35] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [36] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [37] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [38] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [42] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] ↑ . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [39] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [40] ↑ . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Nicolaus Otto. Retrieved October 2, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/nicolaus-otto
MLA “Nicolaus Otto.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 2 Oct. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/nicolaus-otto.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_nicolaus-otto_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Nicolaus Otto}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/nicolaus-otto}, note = {Accessed: 2026-10-02}}
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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 18d ago · Printstream · 2026-09-15 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Hessian biography person (gnd) id → 3682
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/54302|batch #54302]]: migrate GND to own IDs"
  2. 10w ago · Lesko987a · 2026-07-20 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Wikitree person id → Otto-6003
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/42749|batch #42749]]: P2949 FindaGrave"
  3. 14w ago · Printstream · 2026-06-26 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14536 → 426880
    "/* wbcreateclaim-create:1| */ [[Property:P14536]]: 426880, #quickstatements; #temporary_batch_1782462304762"
  4. 19w ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-21 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Owner of → Deutz AG
    Local thumb → —
    Described by source → Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie
    Family name → Otto
    + 24 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/32152|batch #32152]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (34)"
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