Heinrich Emanuel Merck

Heinrich Emanuel Merck ( Darmstadt * September 15, 1794, † February 14, 1855 in Darmstadt ) was a German chemist and founder of the pharmaceutical company Merck in Darmstadt.

Life

Merck studied in Berlin and Vienna pharmacy and worked in the Engel-Apotheke his father, which he continued from 1816. By the way he dealt with the chemistry of plant natural products.

In his laboratory, he achieved the isolation and purification of alkaloids, a class of highly potent phytonutrients, which paid special attention to the science for its medicinal effect. 1827 set forth the Merck then known alkaloids and sold them to fellow pharmacists, chemists and doctors. 1838 to 1841 he ran a candle factory and was a member of the city council in 1828 in Darmstadt. As an expert witness he was also active in the trial of the murder of the Countess of Goerlitz 1850. He was very close friends with Justus Liebig.

Merck was a direct descendant of Friedrich Jacob Merck, which had acquired the Engel-Apotheke in Darmstadt in 1668. The pharmacy was the nucleus of the company, which was founded in 1850 by Heinrich Emanuel Merck and his sons as Geschäftssocietät. Today's Merck KGaA is the oldest pharmaceutical companies in the world.

Heinrich Emanuel Merck left three sons, Carl (1823-1885), George (1825-1873) and Wilhelm (1833-1899), the inheritance fell to his. At this time, about 23 to 50 workers were employed in Merck's pharmaceutical- chemical factory. The company has until today to approximately 70 % owned by the Merck family.

His daughter Henriette married Magdalena later Reichstag deputies Georg Freiherr von Wedekind.

Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award

The named by Merck Award for Analytical Chemistry ( Heinrich Emanuel Merck Award ) has been awarded since 1988 and is endowed with 15,000 euros.