JUNE,1952
ROBERT STREBlNGER RALPW E. OESPER University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
ROBERTSTREBINGER, who for many years has been director of the Institut fiir analytische und anorganische Chemie a t the Technische Hochschule in Vienna, was born on March 31, 1886. His father was a member of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. After completing the courses a t the Technische Hochschule and the University, the young chemist continued his training a t Briinn, where he was assistant for several years. Since he had decided to specialize in analytical chemistry, he returned to his native city as assistant to Georg Vortmann (1854-1932), the noted founder of the Viennese school of analytical chemistry. Dr. Strebinger habilitated in his chosen field a t the Technische Hochschule in 1920. At this time microchemistry was beginning to come to the front, and Strebinger foresaw that much of the development of analytical chemistry would be along these lines. He therefore went to Graz, the headquarters of the new movement, and became one of Pregl's first students. Thoroughly imbued with the importance and potentialities of the new methodology, Strebinger henceforth devoted his energies almost entirely to this branch of analysis. In 1922, while still a Privatdozent, he took the important step of founding the Zeitschrift fur Mikrochemie. He was its editor for 10 years. In 1938 this valuable international journal was combined with Microchemica Acta; Professor Strebinger is still a member of the editorial board. In addition to more than 50 papers in this field he has published (with the collaboration of G. Klein) "Fortschritte der Mikrochemie in ihren verschiedenen Anwendungsgebieten" (Vienna, 1928). The application of microanalysis to the examination of art treasures goes
back to him. This is his real speciality and he is a recognized expert. His interest and wide knowledge of old and ancient art has been invaluable in his analyti~al studies of paintings, bronzes, etc. Whole generations of young chemists have profited from his competence as a teacher. His friendly attitude and obvious grasp of the subject matter have made him extremely popular with his students. He has published two textbooks: "Praktikum der qualitativen chemischen Analyse" and "Praktikum der quantitativen Analyse, I and 11." Both have been translated into several languages. He was the first to include crystalline precipitations and the Feigl spot tests in the general instruction in qualitative analysis. The results have been most satisfactory. The laboratories a t the Technische Hochschule (now University of Technology) were badly damaged during World War 11. He, as dean (1945-47), rendered invaluable services in both the reconstruction of the buildings and the reorganization of the courses. With the aid of the faithful few collahorators who had stayed in Vienna instruction was resumed, on a partial scale, as early as June, 1945. Most of the equipment had been scattered far and wide; he succeeded in recovering most of it. Notably, he got the electron microscope back from Saleburg. Professor Strebinger is an honorary member of the Gesellschaft fiir Natur und Technik and of the Oesterreichischer mikrochemischen Gesellschaft. He is President of the Zweite Staatspriifungskommission fiir Chemie and a member of numerous scientific committees, including the Oesterreichischen Codex Commission.
