Lorenz Florenz Friedrich von Crell

Lorenz ( Florens ) Friedrich von Crell (also: Lorenz Florenz Friedrich von Crell; born January 21, 1744 Helmstedt, † June 7, 1816 in Göttingen) was a German physician, chemist and mining engineer.

Life and work

Lorenz Crell was the son of the physician Johann Friedrich Crell and grandson of the surgeon and botanist Lorenz Heister. He studied from 1765 at the University of Helmstedt, graduate studies in philosophy in 1768 and his Ph.D. work contagion vivum to the doctor of medicine.

Crell was from 1771 to 1773 professor of chemistry and mineralogy at the Collegium Carolinum Braunschweig and since 1774 a full professor of medicine. Since 1780, he was the Duke Braunschweigischer Bergrat. From 1783 to 1810 he was professor of philosophy and medicine at the University of Helmstedt, and finally professor of chemistry at the University of Göttingen.

In 1778 he founded the journal Chemical Annals for the Friends of Natural Philosophy, Arzneygelahrtheit, household arts and manufactures. This is considered as the world's first chemical journal, which was published. He translated some of the works of Richard Kirwan into German. Crell was like Kirwan supporters of the phlogiston theory.

Crell was raised in 1778 in the Leopoldina and 1781 by Emperor Leopold II in the Imperial nobility.