Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg ( born July 1, 1742 in Ober-Ramstadt in Darmstadt, † February 24, 1799 in Göttingen) was a mathematician and the first German professor of experimental physics. Lichtenberg is considered the founder of the German aphorism.

Life

Family

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg was the grandfather of the Hanoverian Minister of Education and later president of the country Consistory Carl Lichtenberg and great-grandfather of the politician Georg Lichtenberg.

Career

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg was the 17th and youngest child of the Protestant pastor Johann Conrad Lichtenberg. 1745 the family moved to Darmstadt. Lichtenberg suffered all his life in an increasing kyphosis ( curvature of the spine ), which not only led to a pronounced hump and smaller body size, but also breathing more and more difficult. He got up to the age of ten private lessons in his home, in 1752 he switched to the Latin School "Darmstadt educators " (now also called Old educators ). For his diligence and acumen he has won several awards.

He finished school in 1761. Thanks to a grant from the Landgrave Louis VIII in the amount of 200 guilders a year he was able to study from May 1763 to 1766 at the University of Göttingen - Abraham Gotthelf Kästner among others - mathematics, natural history and astronomy. In the following years until 1774 he conducted astronomical observations at the old observatory in Göttingen by.

His physical disability and its continuing vulnerability to illnesses made ​​him sensitive to an extraordinary degree. His powers of observation he turned not only on scientific phenomena, but also to the environment and his fellow man.

After his studies he made ​​two long trips to England. On the first trip in 1770 ( as a tutor for two students from England ), he led King George III. of Great Britain and Hanover. due to the observatory of Richmond upon Thames, whereupon the appointment of Lichtenberg associate professor of philosophy recommended in a letter The second trip to England, where he also met participants from Cook's second trip around the world ( such as Georg and Johann Reinhold Forster), he undertook from 1774 to 1775. On this occasion, he met well-known scientists such as James Watt and Joseph Priestley. This trip was to his great educational experience.

In 1770 Lichtenberg Professor of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy at the University of Göttingen, but only from 1776 he regularly gave lectures.

In 1772, he met with the Jewish scholars and scientists Rafael Levi.

1777 was Lichtenberg during a guest performance of the magician Philadelphus Philadelphia in Göttingen unmount a poster on which he so announced Philadelphia's program, as it was from him himself on these posters was alleged that Philadelphia would quickly the weather-cock of the Jacobi Church with the flag on the St John's Church interchange. The so- challenged Philadelphia left Göttingen rashly, without having given another performance.

1777 Lichtenberg made ​​the acquaintance of Maria Dorothea Stechardt ( 1765-1782 ). From 1780 until her untimely death was the " small Stechardin " (see novel by Gert Hofmann ) Lichtenberg's girlfriend ( " without priestly blessing my wife ").

From 1780 - until his death - he was professor of physics.

1782 Margarethe Elisabeth waiter came into his service. With her he began in 1783 before similar ratio, which was legalized in 1789 to secure the legacy of her and their children.

In October 1789 spasmodic asthma attacks put a (a consequence of the curvature of the spine ), which tied him to her bed for months.

In 1793 he was appointed a member of the Royal Society in London.

Lichtenberg conducted an extensive correspondence with important contemporaries, including Immanuel Kant, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johann Daniel Abraham Gotthelf Kästner and Ramberg.

His grave is located on the St. Bartholomew Cemetery in Göttingen.

Teaching and research

Lichtenberg dealt with scientific topics on a broad level, among others, geodesy, meteorology, astronomy, and chemistry. As an educator, he has led the way: He did not dry lectures from the style of the time, but seasoned them with practical demonstrations. With flying dragon, he led his students before the thunderstorm electricity, with gas-filled bladders, he took the balloon ride in advance. As a researcher, he led - Benjamin Franklin following - in the theory of electricity, the terms positive and negative electricity one. His skill as an experimental physicist, he presented the development of a 2.5 -square-meter electrophorus proof. This Influenzmaschine he could generate very high voltages and cause sparks up to 40 cm in length. In 1777 he discovered in the dust of an insulator plate of electrophorus star-shaped patterns, called Lichtenberg figures. He introduced the first invented by Benjamin Franklin lightning rod in Göttingen and one of the first in Germany by 1780 and 1794 his garden houses with such Furchtableiter - as he called him - knew.

About his scientific discoveries, the reconnaissance Georg Christoph Lichtenberg is by its authorities of independent, critical and analytical thinking, and the emphasis of the experiment in physics one of the main founders of modern scientific methodology.

" The more in the exploration of nature experiences and experiments accumulate, the more fluctuating are the theories. But it is always good to give it up not the same because of it. For each hypothesis, which was good, serves at least to the phenomena of their time to think about belonging together and keep them. One should particularly lay down contradictory experiences until they have accumulated sufficiently to make it worth the effort perform a new building. "

Influenced among others Immanuel Kant and Baruch Spinoza Lichtenberg is considered classic representative of the late Enlightenment. In 1778 he began his later famous main course " Experimental Physics ". The new demonstration character of the lecture, which he held until his death, made him known beyond the city limits. From 1784, he took over the publication of the textbook Foundations of Natural doctrine of his friend Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben, who had died early in 1777. Until 1794, followed by three more revisions. The initial reasons were for many years the standard work among physics textbooks in the entire German-speaking. In addition, Lichtenberg was from 1777 to the editor of the Göttingen Taschencalenders. In it he published until his death in popular science presentations on current scientific news in the spirit of the Enlightenment (eg " About thunderstorm fear and lightning conductor "). Some of his essays are considered successful literary criticism. Even health policy issues have been dealt with, so its call for public seaside resorts whose merits he had met in 1774 in England.

Lichtenberg was commissioned in 1771 by the Hanoverian government with the geodetic survey of Hannover, Osnabrück and later Stade; the position of Göttingen was already sufficiently well known. The measurement of travel lasted from December 1771 to September in 1773. Meanwhile visited Lichtenberg Hamburg and Helgoland. The results of his single, larger, based on astronomical observations work published 1777. Comparison of Lichtenberg's values ​​with the measurements of Gauss ( a listener Lichtenberg ) and Schumacher from the mid-19th century revealed some deviations between 7 and 15 arcsec for the width determination and much greater differences in the length determination having 6 to 60 arc seconds.

Lichtenberg was known in professional circles throughout Germany and Europe, and estimated and corresponded with many scholars in the correspondence. He was a member of numerous scientific societies in Göttingen, St. Petersburg and London. Lichtenberg suggested Ernst Chladni in 1793 for its ground-breaking theory of meteors, fireballs and meteorites and encouraged his students Benzenberg and fire at her meteor observation program. In his medical review of mesmerism, his pupils hoof relied on " my healthy Lichtenberg'sche physics ". Goethe also asked Lichtenberg since 1792 to his opinion on his theory of color, hoping - in vain - for recognition.

Scripture Generic works

For many years, Lichtenberg from 1764 in copybooks, called by him self-deprecating " Waste Books " listed in aphoristic form countless aphorisms ( spontaneous ideas, gleanings, reflections to almost all areas of knowledge and scientific findings ), which were published posthumously. They show his openness to everything new, the encyclopaedic breadth of his mind and in a special way his ability to skeptical observation and ironic formulation. As it says:

He held there firmly and scientific findings. He wrote, for example, about the tactics deployed by him names positive and negative electricity:

Parts of the Sudelbücher were issued in 1825 by Rahel Varnhagen by. One part was digitized by the Gutenberg Project and is available online.

Just as important as the Sudelbüchern have to settle for philologists and historians dispute his writings, letters and essays. This he wrote in German, his scientific publications, preferably in Latin. 1773 appeared Timorus, a polemic against Lavater, who had the Berlin reconnaissance Moses Mendelssohn invited to conversion. In 1777 he turned to the Scriptures About Physiognomy against the physiognomist with as much biting irony against Lavater's theory, a person's character is derived from its bone structure. 1784 wrote Lichtenberg against Conrad Siegmund Pulling, who had left a great impression in Germany with his prophecies.

Lichtenberg was talking about his private correspondence, many years of good relations with contemporary, enlightened cultural journals in which he contributed essays to debates about everything his universally interested Spirit came to mind, among other physiognomy, sunbathing, art and theater events.

Letters from England ( 1774/75 arose on his second trip to England ) are the first descriptions of a nascent German metropolis and valuable contributions especially to the history of the English theater.

1784 Lichtenberg began in Göttingen Taschencalender with his famous commentaries on William Hogarth's moral image sequences (GC Lichtenberg's detailed explanation of the hogarthischen engravings, 1794-1799 ), which are kept entirely in the spirit of satirical engravings.

Appreciation

1935, the lunar crater Lichtenberg was named after him.

He named in honor of the Volkswagen Foundation, a program for research funding " Lichtenberg Professorship ".

On the occasion of the 250th birthday of Lichtenberg Göttingen mayor a Lichtenberg- sculpture unveiled on 1 July 1992 at the Town Hall market. The cast of the Albanian artist Fuat Duschku bronze statue was sponsored by the Göttingen publisher Tete Böttger. At the same time, the winners of a Lichtenberg Aphorisms Competition were awarded.

In honor of Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen gives the Lichtenberg Medal annually.

In Germany, several schools have been named after Lichtenberg.

The Hamburg artist Horst Janssen has the sometimes ironic and sarcastic aphorisms Lichtenberg's theme visually and integrates them as a statement and image annotations in his drawings and etchings.

Peter Sehr works with Hans Magnus Enzensberger for years on a film about the life of Georg Christoph Lichtenberg.

Literary reception

Kurt Tucholsky showed his devotion Lichtenbergs by frequent citation, which he enriched his works and what he built up individual topics.

Robert Gernhardt had in 1992 at an exhibition started to manufacture drawings to Sudelsprüchen, only 39 in number, which were published until 1994, at irregular intervals in the FAZ magazine, which, further, to 99 drawings auswuchsen, and 1999 Haffmanns -Verlag under the title of Our Earth is perhaps one female - 99 Sudelblätter by Robert Gernhardt have been published for 99 Sudelsprüchen by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg.

Gert Hofmann focused in his novel The small Stechardin an episode from the life of Lichtenberg: the relationship with Maria Dorothea Stechard 1777-1782, which drew a 12 -year-old in his home in Göttingen Gotmarstraße and there lived until her death with him. In the preface, the author points to the fictitious character of the plot, which focuses on the development of the relationship between the unequal partners is, during scientific activities and contacts with colleagues and students form the background. The materials used for the characterization of the physicist whose physical deformation affected his private life, Hofmann uses biographical notes from letters, diaries and critical aphoristic waste book entries about human behavior and life insights and draws in this context be Lichtenberg picture in the context of Göttingen social structure of the 18th century.

Works

• Detailed explanation of Hogarthischen engravings, with scaled-down but complete Copien same E [ rnst Ludwig ]. Riepenhausen. 12 deliveries, Dieterich, Göttingen from 1794 to 1816.
• Georg Christoph Lichtenberg 's miscellaneous writings, collected after his death and published by Ludwig Christian Lichtenberg and Friedrichshain Kries. 9 volumes, Dieterich, Göttingen from 1800 to 1806 ( = First edition of works ). Reproduction in Lang, Bern 1972
• Georg Christoph Lichtenberg 's Miscellaneous Writings; New increased, organized by his sons original edition. 8 volumes, Dieterich, Göttingen 1844-1853
• Writings and letters. Edited and annotated v. Wolfgang Promies. 4 volumes 2 Volumes comment, Hanser Verlag, Munich, 1968-1992 (Reprinted with Zweitausendeins, ISBN 3-86150-042-6 ) ( An exemplary edited and exemplary potential through comments and Output Format tab. )
• Your hand, your mouth, next time more. Lichtenberg's letters 1765 until 1799. Edited and with an afterword by Ulrich Joost. Verlag CH Beck, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-406-44185-8
• Nicolaus Copernicus, Munich 2008 (difference -Verlag). (PDF)
• Physics lecture. After J.Chr. P. Erxlebens Foundations of Natural Philosophy. From the memories of Gottlieb Gamauf, processed and provided with an introduction by Fritz Krafft, marixverlag, Wiesbaden 2007, ISBN 978-3-86539-098-1
• Lectures on Natural Philosophy. Edited by G. Chr Lichtenberg's annotated personal copy of the 4th edition of Johann Christian Polycarp Erxlebens First Principles of Natural Philosophy, ed. of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen and the Technical University of Darmstadt, edited by Wiard Hinrichs, Albert Krayer and Horst toe, Wallenstein Verlag, Göttingen 2005, ISBN 3-89244-891-4
• Dag Nicolaus Hasse (ed.): Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. Observationes. The Latin writings. Wallenstein Verlag, Göttingen 1997, ISBN 3-89244-266-5