Felix Karrer

Felix Karrer (* March 11 1825 in Venice, † April 19, 1903 in Vienna ) was an Austrian geologist who created substantial collection basis for the technical lithology in Vienna.

Life

First, Felix Karrer studied law and worked 1847-1857 as a civil servant at the Imperial Ministry of War. Out of interest, however, he turned to geological questions. As a volunteer at the k.k. Court Mineral Cabinet was Karrer from vice curator Edward Suess, in Vienna in 1857 held the first paleontological lectures, strongly influenced. He took more and more to the geological explorations in the vicinity of Vienna proportion by Suess ' influence. He had an exceptionally versatile interested teachers, who eventually represented the leading figure of the geological school of Vienna in him. Since the beginning of his career he geoscientific dealt with the foraminifera in the deposits from the Vienna Basin, which later earned him great recognition.

On March 11, 1877 Felix Karrer presented in Vienna to the public his widely acclaimed journalistic work geology of the Emperor Franz Josef high source water line. This work enjoyed great attention, because the already great performance in engineering this powerful water supply system was an example for a large city in the 19th century. As a geologist he had done extensive development work before the construction of the water line.

Before the Scientific Club of Vienna Felix Karrer holds a 1878 lecture entitled About the defunct animal world in the construction materials of Vienna. Although designed by a paleontological point of view, his appearance is to be regarded as a major turning point for the collection and research activities on building and decorative rocks in the former Austria - Hungary. At first he wore with the help of numerous supporters Baugesteine ​​from the City of Vienna together. Then he expanded the collection area on the capitals of the Austro-Hungarian crown lands and the Kingdom of Hungary. By 1890 the collection numbered about 7,000 individual patterns. Among them are 2,000 copies, the Oesterreichische Engineers and Architects Association in 1883 the kk natural history farm museum to support the collection project presented. This collection was created in 1863 and grew steadily now. As another milestone for this collection is considered to be held on 22 February 1886, the Scientific Club of Vienna lecture entitled The monumental buildings in Vienna and their building materials. They subsequently learned that a substantial public attention and more support.

In 1891 published the k.k. Natural History Court Museum (now the Natural History Museum Vienna ) for his visitors a first specialty catalog for part of its collections, the guide to the collection of building materials kk Natural History Court Museum. In his preface, the unusual work of Karrer was the director of the mineralogical department of the Imperial natural history farm museum, Aristides Brezina, appreciated. Karrer was responsible for all further texts even in the versions of this guide. He is now regarded as the founder of the world's major building and decorative stone collection.

The merits of Felix Karrer to popularize and systematization of construction and decoration rocks found today continued in the diverse cultural and geological research can be seen as essential to initiating post.

Works

• Geology of the Emperor Franz Josef high source water line. - Abhandl. k.k. geol. R.-A., Vol IX, Vienna, 1877
• The bottom of the capitals of Europe. Geological study. Vienna (Alfred Hölder ) 1881
• Guide to the Collection of Material k.k. Natural History Court Museum in Vienna. 2 parts, Vienna (R. Lechner) 1892