Karl von Fritsch

Karl Wilhelm Georg Freiherr von Fritsch ( born November 11, 1838 in Weimar, † January 9, 1906 in Goddula at Merseburg ) was a German geologist and paleontologist. He explored the Canaries and the geological foundations of the Gotthard tunnel, was a professor in Zurich and hall and last President of the Academy Leopoldina.

Life

Karl von Fritsch was the son of the politician and Baron Karl Wilhelm von Fritsch, who had an estate in Great Goddula. After Charles had graduated from the school in his hometown of Weimar, he enrolled at the Academy of Forestry in Eisenach. Later he moved to the study of geology at the University of Göttingen and graduated in 1862 with a doctorate. Then took Fritsch an extended study trip to Madeira and the Canary Islands. The results of this journey he published in several journals, including as Geological description of the island of Tenerife. That same year, Fritsch took a position at the University of Zurich and could habilitate in 1863 there.

As a lecturer in geology, he worked until 1867 in addition to the University and at the Polytechnic, later the ETH Zurich. During this time he created an exact geological map of the Gotthard Massif (1873 ) and his work with The Gotthard area the foundations for the later perforation occurred.

More geoscientific study trips led him in 1866 to the volcanic eruption on Santorini, 1872 to Morocco, the High Atlas and later again (?) To the Canary Islands.

1867 moved Freiherr von Fritsch as a lecturer in geology and mineralogy to Frankfurt am Main to Senckenberg Nature Research Society. In 1873 he accepted an appointment as A.O. Professor of Geology at the University of Halle, where he was to work 30 years and be the best expert on the geology of Saxony. In 1876 he was promoted to full professor ( full professor ). In 1888 he wrote a General Geology (Stuttgart 1888) and were achieved by the Mineralogical Museum on its high stand Later neglected Fritsch but the geology in favor of paleontology.

In 1877, it Leopoldina ( German Academy of Natural Scientists ) as a member. After the death of Professor Hermann Knoblauch 1895 Fritsch was chosen as his successor as President of the Leopoldina. Fritsch has held this post until his death. His successor, the mathematician Albert Wangerin was determined.

At the age of 68 years, Professor Karl von Fritsch died on 9 January 1906 in Goddula near Merseburg.

His family had in the Great Depression to give up the goods in Goddula and pull Ballenstedt. The estate first came to the settlement company Saxony land and later on peasant settlers from the nearby Schkopau, as there the Buna plant was built.

Works

• Travel pictures of the Canary Islands. With 3 engraved in copper Maps of Hierro, La Gomera and Gran Canaria, 1867
• Tenerife represented geological- topographical (1867, with Hartung and tear )
• The Gotthard area (1874 )
• General Geology (Stuttgart 1888).