Günther Burstyn

Gunther Adolf Burstyn (6 July 1879 in Bad Aussee, Steiermark - 15 April 1945 in Korneuburg, Lower Austria) was an inventor, technician, and officer of the Austro-Hungarian Army.

In 1911, he designed the first cross-country tank with swiveling turret, based on American agricultural tractors, which he called the Motorgeschütz (literally motor-gun). The draft design, more advanced than some of the tank designs of the First World War, was rejected both by Austria-Hungary and by the German Empire. He later sought to patent his design, but was told that it might infringe existing patents, so he dropped all plans. In 1941 Günther Burstyn was awarded with the War Merit Cross.

At the end World War II (April, 1945) he committed suicide because he feared Soviet captivity, as endured by other German inventors like Ferdinand Porsche.

Name
Burstyn was christened "Günther," but in later life chose to drop the umlaut and use the name "Gunther."