Lecture Paul Schilperoord: De koning van zeven dagen

Johannes Wardenier became world news on 1 November, 1934 with his revolutionary invention of a 'fuel-less engine'. He experienced his own Eureka! moment. For the first time, Author Paul Schilperoord tells the complete, true story of this mysterious figure and his vanished sustainable invention from his non-fiction book 'The King of Seven Days' based on years of research in partly hard-to-access archives.

The king of seven days
The 'fuelless engine' would mean the end of the dominant oil industry. Grand plans were unveiled for factories in Wolvega and Amsterdam. For seven days, Johannes Wardenier was untouchable, then he was shipped off to a mental institution. His revolutionary invention did not come to fruition and Wardenier, who died at a young age, remained a mystery forever. Did the engine and investors exist only in his imagination? Did big business see a threat to their position of power in Wardenier? Why did Philips repatriate Wardenier from a German penitentiary in 1944?

To this day, the name Johannes Wardenier evokes emotional reactions. There are believers who see in him a brilliant, unsung inventor who held the solution to a sustainable energy supply. Do the engine prototype, design drawings and patent lie in the vault of Philips in Eindhoven? Was Wardenier bribed, sabotaged or possibly even murdered by the oil barons? The fact is that the story reached mythical proportions after Johannes Wardenier's death.

Paul Schilperoord (1977) is a technology journalist, industrial designer and B2B marketing communications consultant on innovation and sustainability. His previous books are Technology of the Future (2004), The Secret of Hitler's Volkswagen (2014) and The Search for Josef Ganz (2020).

After the lecture, it will be possible to buy the book. The price is €24.50. Only cash payments are accepted.

This lecture at Tresoar is being held as part of the annual Month of History. The theme in 2023 is Eureka!

The lecture is free to attend. However, we do ask you to reserve a ticket due to room capacity.