Edwin Rolf
Edwin Rolf (Czech Edvin Rolf ; born February 14, 1899 in Oberhohenelbe , Austria-Hungary , † March 25, 1991 in Rathenow , Brandenburg ) was a German-Austrian engineer, amateur astronomer and designer of telescopes.
Life
After training as a machine fitter and electrician, Rolf qualified as a mechanical and electrical engineer by taking a distance learning course. In the Bohemian town of Chotěvice , he ran an engineering factory. His hobby was astronomy, for this purpose he manufactured his first own medial telescope with an opening of 206 mm in his factory in 1929. At the end of 1932 he put the largest telescope in Czechoslovakia into operation in his private observatory in Chotěvice. In 1937 Rolf married his wife Irma in Kottwitz.
On July 22, 1940, Rolf successfully applied for a job posting from telescope manufacturer Emil Busch AG Rathenow as an engineer for precision mechanics. He was able to bring his knowledge of the manufacture of special optics, the manufacture of the necessary grinding machines and the construction of astronomical devices to the company.
After the end of the Second World War, Rolf continued his work in his own workshop in Rathenow, where he calculated, designed and manufactured brachymedial telescopes. Between 1949 and 1953 he made the world's largest brachymedial telescope, the Rathenower refractor, and set it up in his private observatory on Rathenower Wilhelm-von-Leibniz-Strasse. Based on his knowledge, the German Academy of Sciences in Berlin appointed him scientific and technical staff. In addition to the manufacture of telescopes, cameras and optical systems, Rolf also gave lectures on his subject.
After Rolf's death, the city of Rathenow acquired the telescope. In 2008 it was moved to a new location in the Rathenow optics park.
Web links
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Rolf, Edwin |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Rolf, Edvin |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German-Austrian engineer, amateur astronomer and designer of telescopes |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 14, 1899 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Upper Elbe |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 25, 1991 |
| Place of death | Rathenow |