Ludwig Elsbett (8 November 1913 – 28 March 2003) was the inventor of the Elsbett Engine. Elsbett was one of nine children of the farmer Viktor Elsbett and his wife Maria. He grew up in agriculture, and was originally trained as a fitter for agricultural machinery. Later, he attended the technical schools in Bad Frankenhausen and Neustrelitz to study mechanical engineering and aircraft engines, and became a mechanical engineer. After the war, Elsbett set up an independent factory in Salzgitter for the production of a small two-stroke diesel engine. In 1997 Elsbett won the European Solar Prize.