Otto Tetens

Peter Otto Tetens Haren ( born September 26, 1865 in Rendsburg, † February 15, 1945 in Teplice ) was a German scientist with a focus on astronomy.

Life

Otto Tetens, son of a police Rendsburger master, studied from 1883 different natural sciences in Tübingen, Munich, Berlin and Kiel. Then he was at the private observatory of Miklos Konkoly - Thege in Ógyalla (1888 ) and at the observatory Bothkamp at Kiel ( 1888-1891 ) worked. In 1891 he received his doctorate in Kiel. After 1893 Tetens worked on various scientific institutions, such as the German Naval Observatory in Hamburg until 1898 he accepted an assistant position at the observatory of the Kaiser- Wilhelm University in Strasbourg.

From 1902 to 1905 he erected on behalf of the Royal Scientific Society in Göttingen in German Samoa, the Geophysical Observatory Apia, its first director he was. This institution still stands at the same place ( Mulinuu peninsula, island of Upolu ). From his uncle Alfred Tetens, one originating from Wilster Hamburg captain, he had been inspired by the stories of his travels and expeditions to the South Seas. After his return Tetens initially remained in Göttingen order to overcome his records of the last years before accepting a position in 1906 at the Royal Observatory Kiel.

Tetens worked from 1909 as Hauptobservator on aerological observatory in Lindenberg near Beeskow and was the head of the meteorological kite flights among others. In 1931, he retired there. He lived until his death (1945 ) in Bad Saarow on Scharmützel was married to Dorothea Heimrod, daughter of an American diplomat. His house still exists in the spa park of Bad Saarow, an impressive brick building, planned and designed by the architect Ernst Saarower Kopp, whose father Emil Kopp had planned the railway station and the mud bath.

Photographs

Of great ethnological and cultural historical value of the photographs that Tetens taken during his years in Samoa are. A small number of them is located - as well as his diary - now owned by the Overseas Museum in Bremen, the greater part is in possession of his descendants, who have rediscovered the prints and negatives after 100 years. Under the title of Samoa in 1904 then an exhibition of 62 selected photographs took place in 2004 in Hattingen ( Museum Bochum, Wasserburg Haus Kemnade ), which was repeated in Apia in 2005.

Writings (selection )

  • With Franz Left: The meteorological registrations of the Samoa Observatory the years 1902-1906. In: Results of the work of the Samoa Observatory of the Royal Society of Sciences in Göttingen 1, 1910
  • With Franz Left: The climate of Samoa. In: Results of the work of the Samoa Observatory of the Royal Society of Sciences in Göttingen 4, 1910
  • About the security of Pilotvisierungen by a single theodolite. In: Results of the work of the Royal Prussian Aeronautical Observatory in Lindenberg 6, 1911, pp. 183-190
  • Rubber balloon pilot. In: Results of the work of the Royal Prussian Aeronautical Observatory in Lindenberg 6, 1911, pp. 191-206
  • Aerological observations during 18-19. May 1910 expected passage of the Earth through the tail of Halley 's Comet. In: Results of the work of the Royal Prussian Aeronautical Observatory in Lindenberg 6, 1911, pp. 219-255
Observatory of Strasbourg Astrophysics Data System Integrated Authority File
627539
de