Idler was a shoemaker in Augsburg, who also had several other interests. He was also known as a poet and actor. He was married two times.[1]
Idler dreamed of flying, and constructed a set of wings that he would ride while hanging suspended from his arms.[2] He made one attempt at flying, originally planning on launching himself from the Perlachturm, a 70-meter tower in the center of Augsburg, but the clergyman was able to convince him to start at a lower level. In the attempt, he was unable to control his descent, and fell onto a bridge. He survived, but four chickens under the bridge were killed when it collapsed.
After his abortive attempt, Idler became known as "der fliegende Schuster" (the flying Shoemaker). A street near the University of Augsburg is named after him.[3]
Idler's attempt is fictionalized in the novel Der Teufelsvogel Des Solomon Idler (Solomon Idler's Satanic Bird) by Peter Dempf (ISBN 3821803886, 2000).
