Friedrich Tietjen

Friedrich Tietjen (* October 15, 1832 in Garnholt; † 21 June 1895 in Berlin) was a German astronomer. He was active continuously since 1861 at the Berlin Observatory and discovered the asteroid in 1865 (86 ) Semele. From 1874 until his death he was the first director of the company founded at the observatory Astronomical rake Institute.

Youth and Education

Tietjen came from peasant conditions and should follow the wishes of the parents take over the home place of his father in Garnholt. He attended from 1839 to 1847 the primary school in Hüllstede and worked for some time on the family farm. Even then he showed mathematical talent and great interest in stargazing and received at the age of 20 years, the approval of his father, to visit a school in Oldenburg and attain his baccalaureate degree. 1853 Tietjen went to Brunswick at the Collegium Carolineum to prepare there on his studies of mathematics, physics and astronomy in Göttingen.

Professional life

After graduating he moved Friedrich Tietjen to Berlin. He watched for a long time planets and comets, being discovered in 1859 as a young talent. In 1863, he completed a doctorate on the methods for determining the planet careers and became a professor and doctor of astronomy. With this award, he was appointed the first Asissenten the royal observatory.

In 1866 he received the Prussian King his first big order: together with the director of the observatory he should look at the southern Jade Bay for a suitable point for the measurement of Northern Germany. He set the astronomical pillar of Dangast, which serves to define the Central European graticule by an international agreement, and began on 25 April 1866 the survey. Through the measurements he found out with other researchers, that the earth is not spherical but a so-called Rotationellipsoid is.

1868 Friedrich Tietjen Director of the Berlin Observatory, and so also became editor of the ' Astronomical Yearbook ". In the same year he was given a expedition to India, where he should observe a solar eclipse. He undertook for a week-long seafaring, experienced the vibrant life in the Eastern port cities in transit and was greeted personally in Bombay by the British governor. In his letters, which are still owned by the family, he described his long and exciting journey to India.

Aftermath

In his last phase of life Friedrich Tietjen worked again in Oldenburg, however, still on behalf of the Royal Observatory in Berlin. He suffered from heart disorders, asthma, and as a result from severe shortness of breath, so he prepared his health more and more difficulties. Tietjen traveled on vacation in the Mediterranean and regularly wrote letters home. The hoped-for recovery, however, did not halt itself, on June 21, 1895 Friedrich Tietjen died from his illness. Due to his attachment to his homeland and his family, he was buried in " heimatlicher earth " in Westerstede. Direct descendants he not left, he had devoted his whole life and his time of science, rather than start their own family.

Friedrich Tietjen was known far beyond the borders of Germany and was highly appreciated abroad. His observations and scientific research at the time were an important step for the determination of astronomical distances and the motion of celestial bodies in the universe. However, especially in his native people were proud of the " stargazer " from Great Garnholt and also in the Berlin vernacular was the " Sternkieker Tietjen " known. Thanks Tietjen the Westersteder and Jeveraner even knew the preferences of Otto von Bismarck and sent to the Registrar ham and lapwing eggs. At the court Tietjen was very popular and was even invited to the festivities as an invitation witnessed.

The descendants of the Tietjen family guard today the last remaining pieces of the life of astronomers, including many personal belongings, documents and a large painting.