0
BERNHARD PRAGER-Editor
of Beilstein
1907-1933 DORA STERN' New York. New York N o w TEAT organic chemists are interested more than ever before in problems of classification, indexing, and nomenclature, it is fitting that we pay tribute to a man due the greatest gratitude for his fundamental achievements in these fields. Bernhard Prager, together with Paul Jacobson, has created in the fourth edition of Beilstein's "Handbuch der Organischen Chemie" a work that provides organic chemists all, over the world with the indispensable literary tool for orientation in the forest of organic compounds which grows constantly more dense. Prager, who would have been 80 this year, was born in Berlin on May 12, 1867. He studied there in A. W. von Hofmann's laboratory and received his Ph.D. in 1890 with a dissertat,ion on pseudoureas. For the following eight years he was associated with the Anilinfarben-Fabrik Notzel, Istel & Co. in Griesheim, where he supervised and improved the mannfacture of benzidine, tolidme, and dianisidine. However, this work Birthday Colabration in tho Bailstein Office did not satisfy him as a permanent vocation and he looked for another field of activity. In 1899 when the German Chemical Society started the publication of supplementary volumes to the third (Victor Meyer und Paul Jacobson, "Lehrbuch der edition. of Beilstein's "Handbuch der Organischen Organischen Chemie"), still took time to assist Prager Chemie," Paul Jacobson, its editor, looked for a collabo- with his rich experience until his death in January, rator. Prager applied for the position, which suited 1923. In the course of the years a close friendship his inclinations, though in the beginning it was very hetween them developed from this c01laborat.ion.~ The first task in editing the fourth edition was the modest and did not seem promising financially. elaboration of a new system of classification, since the ~ ~his colla~oration ~ i on the ~ supplementary ~ . papers on system used in the third edition was not adequate to v&,mei from 1899 to 1906, prager aliphatic-&omatic azo compounds, on the tinctorial cope with the steadily increasing flood of chemical This system was devised in 1907 with behavior of the three isomeric hydroxyazobenzenes, a d compo"ds. (with ~ 1~ , l ~ on ~analysis ~ ~of compounds d ) with such logical acuteness and such foresight that it.has nitrogen-nitrogen linkage according to ~ j ~ l , j ~ hmet l ' ~all requirements up to this day. It is evident that H~ could carry out this experimental week in thi?.comprehensive classification, in addition to serving method. generally as the Hofmannhaus laboratory; later on, to his great 1ts Immediate purpose, may be used regret, he had to abandon his experimental studies a code for filing organic chemical compounds. A detailed exposition of the system appeared in the because of lack of time. first volnr~leof the E h d m c h (PP. 1 4 6 ) and in the After completion of the supplementary iiolumes to the third edition of Beilstein in 1906, the German Chemical book "System der Organischen Verbindungen. Ein Leitfadenfiir die ~ advice decided ~ to~ prepareb ~ ~ Benutzung ~ von Beilsteins ' ~Handbuch society on ~ der Organischen Chemie,'' by B. Prager, D. Stern, completelyrevised fourth edition covering the literature Prager, who had shown reandK. Ilberg (J. Springer, ~ e r l i n 1929).= , u p t o Jainary 1, 1910. In this country, knowledge of the system was markahle qualifications for the critical and systematic editing of the literature, was chosen as the editor for chiefly promoted by E. H. Huntress through his this important. unde'rt&g. Jacobson, who, in adto his friend in an impressive ,,bituary ,Prager paid tiition tohis extensive activity as General Secretary of in Ber., 57A,57 (1924). For shorter treatises see FR. RICHTER,"Wie benutnt man t h k ~ ~ r m aChemical d Society, wanted most of all to Beilsteins Handhuoh der .Organischen Chemie?" in 2. angau. textbook fbrther the , compl(,t~on of his ,. . . . Chnn.,38,1096-8 (1925), and the pamphlet by FR.RICHTER with K. ILBERG,"Kurze Anleitung aur Orientiekng in Beilsteins 1 T& writer was a member of the ~ e i l s & statr from 1907:o '
1937.
Handhueh der Orga~schen'Chernie"(J. Springer, Berlin, 1936)
593
DECEMBER, 1947
publication, "A Brief Introduction to the Use of Beilstein's Handbuch der Organischen Chemie" (first edition 1930, second edition 1938; John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York) and through his lectures on the use of chemical literature a t the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 1924. After the new system was developed, the whole material of the third edition had to be rearranged accordingly; at the same time it was subjected to a critical revision from 1908 to 1912. Finally the literature up to January l, 1910, had to be covered. In 1916, when the compilation of the manuscript from the collected material started, contradictory statements in the literature were not infrequently discovered. In such cases, the authors were questioned, if possible, or experts were con&ulted; even new experimental investigations were carried out for the purpose of clarification. At the end of 1918, during World War I, the first volume finally appeared. Many volumes followed as the result of assiduous work during the next fifteen years. In recognition of his achievements the title of professor was bestowed upon Prager and he was awarded the Hofmannhaus medal on the occasion of the half centenary celebration of the foundation of the German Chemical Society. In editing the huge mass of material, it became necessary to study thoroughly questions of nomenclature. In the first place, names were used which were in harmony with the classification on which the Beilstein is based. In addition, other names currently in use were included. However, because of the great number of names used in the literature, a suitable choice had to be made, and, in particular, inexpedient or even incorrect names had to be eli~ninated.~ In connection with this activity, Prager was elected a member of the German Commission on Nomenclature in 1924. In 1930 the Verband Deutscher Chemischer Vereine named him m its representative a t the conference of the International Union of Chemistry (Commission on the Reform of the Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry) a t Lit5ge. The study of the naming and numbering of chemical compounds led to a correspondence with Austin M. Patterson, who was working on a system of numbering ring systems. In 1925 Patterson visited Berlin and discussed nomenclature problems with Prager and other editors of the Deutsche Chemische Gesellschaft. On this occasion he took a picture showing Prager on the balcony of the Hofmannhaus. The house and the man no more exist. The Hofmannhaus was destroyed by a bomb during World War 11. Prager, long before the war, had prematurely relinquished his position under the influence of the Nazi regime. When he, a Jew himself, was asked in May, 1933, to dismiss his two youngest collaborators because of racial reasons, his answer was his resigna-
tion. His successor was Friedrich Richter, a member of the Beilstein staff since 1918 and editor of the supplementary volumes to the fourth edition since 1923. Prager did not long survive the separation from the work to which he had devoted every effort. He died August 30,1934, of a heart attack6. His health had been delicate from childhood and only by wrestling heroically every day with this obstacle could he achieve his great task. His work was nearly all-consuming. In the little spare time that remained for his private life, he liked to study philosophical works-particularly Schopenhauer and Spinoza-in musing solitude and to pore over the classics of world literature. However, Prager, who remained a bachelor, was by no means a recluse. He had sound common sense and took a strong interest in public affairs. Despite the handicap imposed on him by nature, his character was candid, his disposition even-tempered. He displayed a delightful sense of humor and had the serenity of a sage who sees things from a long range point of view. Absolute integrity, complete fairmindedness, extraordinary unselfishness, and constant willingness to give active help distinguished him and won him the affectionof his fellow men. This spirit prevailed also among the editorial staff which he had built up in the course of the years. It was this working in harmony that made possible the accomplishment of the voluminous task. By his extensive knowledge in the field of organic chemistry, by his critical judgment, by his ability to organize, and by his unremitting diligence, Prager set a constantly inspiring example for his collaborators. His complete devotion to the work entrusted to him has developed the Beilstein into what i t i s t h e absolutely reliable handbook, the "organic chemist's Bible."
See PRAGER'S paper "Zur Nomenklatur der organischen Chemie" in Z. angm. Chem., 42,1055-9 (1929).
% short obituaw of Prager by Fr. Richter was published in Ber., 67A, 16G7 (1934).
Bernhard Prager. May. 1934
