Heinrich von Wild

Heinrich Ivanovich Wild ( born December 17, 1833 in Uster, Canton of Zurich, † September 5, 1902 in Zurich ) was a Swiss meteorologist and physicist.

Life

Wild studied physics in Zurich and in Königsberg, received his doctorate in 1857 and habilitated at the University of Zurich and at the Polytechnic (1857 ), but was launched in the same year as a professor of physics and director of the observatory in Bern. He expanded the local meteorological observatory for Central Institute of the Canton of Bern, and thus laid the foundation for the comprehensive surveillance network in Switzerland.

When the Federal Council in 1861 gave him the inspection of weights and measures institutions ( verification offices ), Wild took the opportunity, after the implementation of the reforms until 1867 a normal calibration device ( normal adjustment works ) build, whose director he was also. He later became a street named after him ( Wild-Strasse in the district church field of Bern ) in honor.

1868 Wild was appointed as a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Director of the Physics Central Observatory to Saint Petersburg, where he led the institution and the meteorological ( and geomagnetic ) observation network throughout Russia reformed. 1877 prompted the establishment of the wild meteorological and magnetic observatory in Pavlovsk, later also in Irkutsk. He introduced the reduction of the meteorological values ​​based on the barometric pressure, so that the observations in the different countries were comparable. He also improved several instruments for observing the weather and terrestrial magnetism. In addition, he was concerned with methods for the determination of the electrical resistance.

Wild was in 1870 editor of " Annals of the physical Observatory for Russia" and for "New Repertory of Meteorology " ( 1869-1894, published by the Russian Academy of Sciences). Wild in 1870 designated as a member of the international meter Commission. As Karl Christian Bruhns and Karl Jelinek sat down game for the convening of several international meteorological conferences a, so in 1873 in Vienna and 1879 in Rome. In May 1880 Wild was president of the International Polar Commission and was involved in this function instrumental in organizing the First International Polar Year 1882-1883.

1895 Wild withdrew into private life, and died on September 5, 1902 in Zurich.

Work

Wild operated mainly in the fields of optics, the theory of electricity and terrestrial magnetism. He also contributed to questions of meteorology and of gauge.

Heinrich Wild invented for example the Polaristrobometer, eg the was used in the saccharimetry. In the theory of electricity to Wild has rendered outstanding by the redetermination of the absolute electrical resistance unit ohm. As president of the Polar Commission, he gave up the regular communications by the Company, the major contributions to polar research published in the 1880s of the 19th century.