a
THE BEGINNINGS OF CHEMICAL INSTRUCTION AT HEIDELBERG KARL FREUDENBERG University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany (Translated by Ralph E. Oesper)
IN THE^ "History of the Chemical University Lahoratory a t Heidelberg since the Founding by Bunsen," Curtius and Rissom' state: The first signs of chemical instruction at the University of Heidelberg date from as early as seven decades before Bunsen was called as Professor of Chemistry and Director of the chemical laboratory of the University, namely in 1784, the year in which the "Hohe Kameralschule," which had been founded in 1774 in the former capital city Lautern of the Palatinate, was moved from there by the Prince Elector Kad Theodor to Heidelherg, and, as Higher School of Political Economy, was incorporated in the Philosophical Faculty of the University.? To provide an auditorium and t o house its library, its natural history collection, and its collection of physical apparatus and models, Karl Theodor gave the school a residence, which had been built by General vou Freudenberga on ' I an uncultivated desolate plot not far from the Obertor." The garden, which faced the Neckar, and was planted on arches, was made into a botanical garden. A new structure in the left wing was equipped as a chemical l a b ~ r a t o r y . ~It consisted of a fireproof room with furnaces, a room for glassware, and two smaller rooms. The supervision of all these collections was given t o Georg Adoph Suckow (or Succow), professor of pure and applied mathematics, natural history, chemistry, and botany, which disciplines he had in charge since 1777 a t the school in Lautern before the removal t o Heidelberg. After the reorganization of the University by Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden, the "Staatswirtschaftshohen Schule" was fused completely with the University in 1804. The collection of physics apparatus which was housed in a room of the former Jesuit College, and which had been administered by the professor of physics, was united with the apparatus collection of t.he Staatswirtschaftshohen Schule in the von Freudenherg house and 1 CURTIUS,THEODOR, A N D JOHANNES RISSOM, "Gesohichte des chomischen Universititslzbbaratorium zu Heidelberg seit der Griindung durch Bunsen." Verlag von F. W. Roohow, Universitit.sbuchhandlung, Heidelberg, 1908. a QUINCKE, GEORG,"Geachichte des physikdischen Institutes der Universititt Heidelberg." Academic Oration of November 21, 1885. J . Homing, Universitits Buchdruckerei, Heidelberg, 1885. NO relation to the author. 4 HIRSCH, DR., Van der Universititsgebiiuden in Heidelberg." Carl Winters Universitit.ts Buchbandlung, Heidelberg, 1903.
VOLUME 34. NO. 4, APRIL, 1957
likewise put under the supervision of Suckow, who at the same time took over the lectures in experimental physics. I n addition to Hofrat Suckow, who had charge of these multifold activities, there was a t Heidelherg a rival, since 1805, in the person of the Associate Professor Karl Wilhelm Gottlieb Kastner, mhose lectures pleased the students and who in addition showed many demonstration experiments. I n 1810 Kastner became Full Professor and lectured on experimental chemistry and experimental physics, and also for several years on botany. His request for a laboratory of his own was not granted, and in 1812 he went to the University of Halle as professor of chemistry.6 There seems to have been considerable rivalry between Suckow and Kastner, punctuated by mutual recriminations. Each used his own textbooks in chemistry and physics lectures. After Kastner's departure, his chair was occupied by a professor of philosophy, Jakob Friedrich Friess, and the next year, 1813, he inherited all of Suckow's posts at the latter's death. When Friess went to the University of Jena as "theoretical philosopher," the chair of chemistry at Heidelherg was separated from the other subjects (1817). Georg Wilhelm Muncke mas called from Marburg to head the work in physics, and Leopold Gmelin? associate professor in the medical faculty at Heidelherg, was named to the chemistry post. As recompense for declining a call to Berlin as professor of chemistry, Gmelin was advanced to full professor. Suckow's gravestone is in the Peterskirche in Heidelberg in a niche of the south wall. Like most memorials of its kind and time it now attracts the attention only of specialists in academic history. The Latin inscription in translation reads: GEORGADOPRSUCCOW.Doctor of Medicine and Philosophy, physicist, for 39 years professor public and in ordinary of chemistry and natural history in the Ruprecht-Karl University, Privy ~ouncillorof the Grand Duchy of Baden, member of several learned societies. Born a t Jens, January 28, 1751, died March 13, 1813. God has called me from vou into the distant land-Earth where I was a guest, farewell. (Seneca) He bter taught a t Bonn and Erlangen. His most famous pupil was Liebig, and Kastner played a key role in securing a stipend to enable the gifted young man to study under GayLussae in Paris. See OESPER,R. E., THIS JOURNAL, 4, 1461 (1927). 6 Walden, P., THIS JOURNAL, 31,538 (195-1)
