Portal:Scouting/Selected biography/December

Heinz Zemanek (born January 1, 1920) is an Austrian computer pioneer, known primarily for building the first computer working entirely on transistors on the European mainland, called Mailüfterl, in 1955. In 1954, he supervised a thesis, in the course of which the LRR1 was developed, probably the only logical machine ever built in Austria. He was active in the Scouting movement most of his life. Heinz Zemanek was an active Boy Scout since 1932 and served later as Scout Leader, International Secretary of Austria from 1946 to 1949 and International Commissioner of the Pfadfinder Österreichs from 1949 to 1954. At the Austrian National Jamboree in Laxenburg in 1936 Heinz and other Scouts constructed the telephone network and carried it on a business during the camp. He was among the founders of "Unser Ziel", which was the official magazine for Scout Leaders of the Pfadfinder Österreichs. The Scout Leader war responsible for the organization of the 13th World Scout Conference in Salzburg. Zemanek was also involved in the preparations for the 7th World Scout Jamboree, which took place in Austria in 1951 and he attended. In 1963 he visited the 11th World Scout Jamboree in Greece.