Historedia
Episode 1 of 2

Pasch Granted Patent for Safety Match

When
1844
Where
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm
Part of
Gustaf Erik Pasch granted privilege for the safety match

Swedish chemistry professor Gustaf Erik Pasch was granted a patent in 1844 for his invention of the safety match, featuring a specially designed striking surface.

Pasch, a professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, developed the concept of using red phosphorus on a separate striking surface. This innovation distinguished his safety match from earlier friction matches. He received the patent in 1844, establishing his role as the inventor of the safety match design.

Sources

  1. Gustaf Erik Pasch Wikipedia, revision of 2026-05-02
  2. Match Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.