Not On The Mayflower

About the Book

Not on the Mayflower tells about the life of Dietrich W. Botstiber in Austria during the first part of the twentieth century. He describes an Austria of great beauty and bounty that, over those years, diminished in size, culture, wealth and prestige, due in large part to the breakup of the Dual Habsburg Empire, the 1938 Anschluss and the ensuing war. Botstiber witnessed the most unsettling times in Austrian history, and he recounts his own unhappiness in a country that offered him little opportunity to apply his technical skills and interests. Dietrich Botstiber believed that Americans did not fully appreciate the Austrian predicament leading up to World War II. His autobiography goes a long way toward imparting an understanding of the difficult social and economic conditions in Austria during this period. It also tells a story about the cultural life in Vienna during the early decades of the twentieth century, and about the lives of immigrants to the United States who managed to make significant contributions to their adopted country.

About the Author

Dietrich W. Botstiber was born in Vienna, Austria in 1912. His father was the general manager of the Konzerthaus, one of the major musical institutions in Vienna, so Botstiber grew up in a home where notable composers, conductors, musicians, and singers were frequent visitors. Although he had a classical education, his interests were in science and technology rather than literature and the arts. He graduated in 1935 from the Technical University of Vienna with a Diplom Ingenieur (the equivalent of a Master of Science degree.) He had to abandon his research work on semi-conductors and forego finishing his PhD at the University of Vienna when the Nazis took power in Austria and he emigrated to the United States in 1938. After working in a fascinating variety of job and development projects (from cigar manufacturing machinery and vending machines to armaments and helicopters) he founded Technical Development Company (TEDECO) and did pioneering work on failure detection devices and high-speed power transmission assemblies. TEDECO was also involved in consulting and specialized manufacturing for major aerospace companies. His homes and main office and plants were all located in the Philadelphia area. After selling TEDECO and retiring, he established a foundation that makes grants for university scholarships and teaching positions.