The provided text highlights Konrad Zuse as a pivotal, though often overlooked, figure in the history of computing. It explains how this German civil engineer independently developed foundational concepts for modern computers, largely in isolation during the 1930s and 1940s. His key achievements include the Z3, recognised as the first programmable digital computer, and Plankalkül, the first high-level programming language, which introduced ideas like arrays and conditional statements long before their mainstream adoption. The text underscores Zuse's visionary approach to both hardware and software, showing how his work pre-empted many developments later attributed to other pioneers and ultimately influenced the European computing industry through his company, Zuse KG.
