What German count built the first successful airship in 1900?

The German count who built the first successful airship in 1900 was Ferdinand von Zeppelin.

Zeppelin, a retired military officer, became fascinated by rigid-framed dirigibles after observing balloon operations during the American Civil War. He spent the 1890s developing a large airship supported by an internal metal framework rather than relying only on gas pressure to maintain its shape. In 1898, he founded a company to finance and construct the design.

His first craft, the Zeppelin LZ 1, made its inaugural flight on 2 July 1900 over Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen. It remained airborne for about 20 minutes. Although the flight was brief and the airship was damaged during landing, it demonstrated that a steerable, rigid airship could fly successfully.

Zeppelin did not immediately receive government backing: LZ 1’s early trials exhausted his funds. Later models, particularly LZ 3 and LZ 4, proved more reliable and attracted public and official support. Henri Giffard and Alberto Santos-Dumont were important pioneers, but neither was the German count named here.