ph ake ' s ▁father , ▁Josef ▁K la ph ake , ▁was ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁ab atto ir ; ▁he ▁died ▁when ▁K la ph ake ▁was ▁just ▁one ▁year ▁old . ▁K la ph ake , ▁moved ▁to ▁Leipzig ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁and ▁his ▁sister ▁where ▁he ▁grew ▁up . ▁He ▁was ▁ ▁tall , ▁lean , ▁with ▁fair ▁( l ater ▁grey ) ▁hair ▁and ▁blue ▁eyes . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁surv iving ▁photograph s ▁dep ict ▁an ▁earnest - looking ▁man . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁brief ▁period ▁with ▁an ▁art illery ▁regiment ▁in ▁Belg ium , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Leipzig ▁to ▁attend ▁university . ▁He ▁obtained ▁a ▁doctor ate ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁and ▁moved ▁to ▁Berlin ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁chem ist . ▁ ▁Life ▁in ▁Germany ▁▁ ▁K la ph ake ▁successfully ▁worked ▁as ▁chem ist ▁in ▁Berlin ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 3 0 s . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁he ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁Ma imon ides , ▁a ▁Sp ani ard ▁who ▁wrote ▁in ▁Arab ic ▁about ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁and ▁who ▁mentioned ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁water ▁cond ens ers ▁or ▁Air ▁well s ▁in ▁Palest ine . ▁Kal ph ake ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁test ▁several ▁forms ▁of ▁air ▁well s ▁in ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁and ▁on ▁Vis ▁Island ▁in ▁the ▁Adri atic ▁Sea . ▁ ▁K la ph ake ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁a ▁very ▁simple