Elisabeth von Matt

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Elisabeth von Matt

Elisabeth von Matt , née Humelauer, also known as Elisabeth Freiin von Matt (baptized on August 20, 1762 in Vienna ; died on March 1, 1814 there ), was an Austrian astronomer and geodesist . She is the first and only woman in the Austrian monarchy whose astronomical observations were published in specialist journals and thus achieved supraregional importance.

Life

The baptism of Maria Elisabeth Josepha Catharina Humlauer, daughter of Ignaz Humelauer (also Humlauer) and his wife Elisabeth, is entered in the baptismal register of the cathedral parish of St. Stephan in Vienna on August 20, 1762. Her paternal grandfather was a tailor, her father was able to improve the status of the family as a personal physician at the court. It was in 1760 ennobled and then allowed to " Noble of Humelauer" call.

Nothing is known about Elisabeth's childhood and youth. When she married Ignaz von Matt (1740–1814) in St. Stephen's Cathedral on October 2, 1784 , she also had her own fortune. Her husband was a lawyer and came from Constance , at court he was run as Imperial Councilor. In 1793 he became a baron . The age difference of over 20 years seems to be one reason that Ignaz von Matt is incorrectly referred to in some sources as her father or father-in-law. The couple had three daughters: Maria Regina (born 1786), Karoline (Charlotte) (born 1788), Wilhelmine (born 1789). Two of the sisters married brothers from the Finck von Finckenstein family .

The Stainhofersche Haus in Schulerstrasse in Vienna: Residence with a private observatory

Apartment and private observatory, the "Specula Domestica"

The Matt family owned several properties, both in the city and in the country. Around 1793 Elisabeth von Matt bought a house in the 1st district of Vienna ; she is registered as the owner herself. This house was also called the "Stainhofersche Haus" after an early owner, a printer named Stainhofer. She had determined the coordinates of her house herself in relation to the nearby (old) university observatory. They were then published in the first article she wrote, with the help of Johannes Tobias Bürg : 48 ° 12 ′ 32 ″  N , 16 ° 22 ′ 40 ″  E , which roughly corresponds to today's Domgasse 3 near Stephansplatz .

Another address today is based on the records of contemporary and writer Caroline Pichler . She mentions house number 874 as Elisabeth von Matt's residence. This building stood at today's address Schulerstraße 18, at the corner of Kumpfgasse.

A directory published in the Wiener Zeitung on May 28, 1794 again gives house number 940.

Elisabeth von Matt had the upper floor of the house expanded into a tower that she herself called “Specula Domestica”, her private observatory.

Von Matt ran a salon for Viennese upscale society , in which readings were also held. She maintained a lively exchange with educated circles, including the well-known astronomers of Vienna and the (rather conservative) writer Caroline Pichler, whom she described as "a very educated, even learned lady" (). Because of Elisabeth von Matt's contacts with Freemasons and Jacobins , Pichler stopped contact with her.

Elisabeth von Matt died on March 1, 1814 at the age of 52 in her house at Grosse Schulerstrasse No. 874 in Vienna of dropsy of the breast . Her husband died a few months after her at the age of 74. The house was bequeathed to the daughters and grandchildren. Before it was demolished in 1896, Emil Hütter created the sketch .

Astronomical and geodetic activities

For astrogeodetic investigations Elisabeth acquired by Matt quality instruments, these included a zehnzölliger Spiegelsextant of Edward Troughton , an Arnold - chronometer . No. 59, that of Anton Pilgram had been set in gold, and other parts from the estate of the Viennese astronomer Maximilian Hell . In order to be able to precisely determine positions, von Matt sought help from the then director of the Vienna University Observatory , Franz de Paula Triesnecker . He referred her to his assistant, Johann Tobias Bürg , with whom she had a close friendship for the rest of her life. She was well-off and supported his activities, in return, Bürg helped her with the publication of her work.

As of August 1804, there are reports of observations made in their private observatory, the first of the newly discovered asteroids Pallas and Juno . Around 1806 she ordered a refractor , a larger telescope, from the Munich optician, instrument maker and captain Georg von Reichenbach . In order to use the time up to its arrival sensibly, she dealt with positional astronomy . On her travels for the purpose of visits and spa stays, she took the smaller instruments with her and determined - often together with citizens - geographic data, such as B. the latitude of Elbogen in Bohemia or the exact location of Bruck an der Leitha (1810).

Using the occlusion of the star Omega1 Tauri by the moon on March 31, 1808, Elisabeth von Matt was also able to calculate the longitudes of Vienna and Baden . She was also the only known observer of the cover of the Aldebaran by the moon on September 18, 1810 in Bruck an der Leitha and published the data. Star occultations by the moon provide important information for determining the lunar orbit.

On behalf of the French government, she and Bürg took part in the triangulation of the then French Upper Palatinate (1808). During her travels and ventures, she met well-known astronomers and maintained a lively correspondence, e. B. with Franz Xaver von Zach , the director of the observatory Seeberg , and Johann Pasquich , the director of the observatory in Buda (German furnace). With Bürg's help, their observations were published in Johann Elert Bode's Berlin Astronomical Yearbook and in the monthly correspondence published by Franz Xaver von Zach on the advancement of geography and celestial science, initially under Bürg's name, but soon - highly for the time unusual - under their own name.

For seven years she waited to receive the telescope ordered in Germany, it was intended for her summer residence in Brunn am Gebirge . In some letters she complained about the delayed extradition that was probably caused by the war. (It was the time of the Napoleonic Wars , Vienna was occupied by French troops). In 1809 she wrote to Reichenbach: "Let him not believe that the noise of the weapons could slow down her passion for noble science, astronomy."

When the telescope finally arrived in 1813, she could only admire its good quality. Her health was already too weak to work with it. After her death in 1814, Bürg continued to publish her work until his professional retirement in 1827.

Most of Elisabeth von Matt's devices were later acquired for the Vienna University Observatory under Joseph Johann von Littrow . Troughton's mirror sextant is now in the possession of the Museum of the University Observatory in Vienna.

Appreciation and reception

Johann Tobias Bürg paid tribute to his special relationship with Elisabeth von Matt in a public letter:

“This loss is very painful for me, as I have been on friendly terms with her for 10 years without interruption, and she was the only woman with whom I have had any connection since the time that the hard disaster struck me, deaf to become."

- Johann Tobias Bürg : Remarks about employed geographic location determinations in Hungary, Austria and Bavaria.

In the obituary by Johann Elert Bode it says:

"On March 1st. J. died in Vienna, his wife Elisabeth, Reichsfreyin von Matt. The astr. This worthy lady's pursuits are also by my astron. Yearbooks have become most famous, and they deserve an honorable place among the women who practiced astronomy. She left a very valuable collection of astronomical instruments, most of which have already been sold in Vienna "

- Johann Elert Bode : Astronomical Yearbook 1817 (1814).

In the Biographical Lexicon, Wurzbach writes:

"His daughter Elisabeth, however, is one of the small number of learned women in Austria, was the owner of a private observatory in Vienna"

- Constantin von Wurzbach : Biographical Lexicon of the Empire of Austria. Vienna 1867 (BLKÖ)

In 1809, the Austrian botanist Josef August Schultes named a species of the dog's tongue Cynoglossum Mattia in her honor .

Asteroid 9816, discovered on September 24, 1960, was named after the astronomer von Matt at the suggestion of Hermann Haupt from Graz. It is listed as an asteroid (9816) by Matt .

Publications

  • (Johann Tobias Bürg): Sequentes observationes from eodem habitae sunt in specula domestica LB de Matt, cujus latitudo 48 ° 12′32 ″, longitudo 1/3 secundi in tempore aedibus Universitatis occidentalior, tubo achromatico ope micrometri orbicularis . In: Ephemerides Astronomicae Anni 1806 ad Meridianum Vindobonensem. Vienna 1805, p. 356-357 .
  • Observed star occultations by the moon in 1805 . In: Johann Elert Bode (Ed.): Astronomical yearbook for the year 1809 . 1806, p. 125-126 .
  • From two letters from Frau Reichsfreyin von Matt, in Vienna. 7 Nov 1807 . In: Johann Elert Bode (Hrsg.): Astronomical yearbook for the year 1811 . 1808, p. 259-261 .
  • Longitude and latitude determinations of three places in Lower Austria, sent in on Aug. 7, 1809 by Mrs. Elisabeth Reichsfreyin von Matt in Vienna. In: Johann Elert Bode (Ed.): Astronomical yearbook for the year 1812 . 1809, p. 222-225 .
  • Geographical location of the Schneeberg in the Fichtelgebirge and some other places. In: Franz Xaver Zach (Ed.): Monthly correspondence for the promotion of geography and celestial science . tape 21 , 1809, pp. 120-131 .
  • Geographical location of the district town of Elnbogen in Bohemia, not far from Carlsbad, based on observations made by Baroness von Matt. In: Franz Xaver Zach (Ed.): Monthly correspondence for the promotion of geography and celestial science . tape 22 , 1810, pp. 276-277 .
  • Excerpt from a letter from the Baroness von MATT. (Vienna, December 24, 1810) . In: Franz Xaver Zach (Ed.): Monthly correspondence for the promotion of geography and celestial science . tape 23 , 1811, pp. 293-296 .
  • Observation of the covering of the Cnc on May 10, 1810 in Bruck ad Mur and Tau on March 31, 1808 in Baden . In: Franz Xaver Zach (ed.): Monthly correspondence for the promotion of celestial studies 23 . 1811.
  • Longitude and latitude determinations of some places in Austria, together with observed star coverings, by Frau Elisabeth, Reichsfreyin von Matt, from a letter by the same. datirt Vienna d. Jul 31, 1811 . In: Johann Elert Bode (Hrsg.): Astronomical yearbook for the year 1814 . 1811, p. 222-225 .
  • From a letter from Frau Reichsfreyin von Matt in Vienna, dated March 3, 1813 . In: Johann Elert Bode (Ed.): Astronomical yearbook for the year 1816 . 1813, p. 251 .

proof

Literature / sources

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Matricula Online: 01-084 Baptismal Register 1760-1762. 02-Baptism_0662, fol.313L. 1., Dompfarre St. Stephan, accessed on March 23, 2021 .
  2. ↑ Matricula Online: 02-075 marriage book 1782-1785. In: 03-Trauung_0236, Fol.238R. 1., Dompfarre St. Stephan, accessed on March 18, 2021 .
  3. ^ A b Constantin von Wurzbach: Matt, Elisabeth Freiin. In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich. 17th part. Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1867, p. 112. (digitized version), accessed on April 2, 2021 .
  4. ^ Private observatory of Elisabeth Freiin von Matt. In: OeAW Austrian Academy of Sciences. Retrieved March 18, 2021 .
  5. ↑ The building had the conscription number 874 from 1795 to 1821, then no. 824 (1821–1862)
  6. ↑ Historical city map of Vienna
  7. ↑ Ninth list of those homeowners who have declared that they are not demanding any obligation or debenture for the loan, but that they are offering it to Sr. KK Maj. As a voluntary gift. In:  Wiener Zeitung , May 28, 1794, p. 14 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / wrz
  8. ↑ Caroline Pichler: Memories from my life . second volume 1798 to 1813. Vienna 1844, p. 228 ( full version in Google Book Search).
  9. ↑ Nora Pärr: Maximilian Hell and his scientific environment in Vienna in the 18th century . Vienna 2011, p. 230 ( [1] [PDF] Dissertation University of Vienna).
  10. ↑ ANNO: Deceased in Vienna: Wienerisches Diarium. March 5, 1814, p. 262 , accessed March 18, 2021 .
  11. ^ Wilhelm Kisch: Vienna. The old streets and squares of Vienna and their historically interesting houses: a contribution to the cultural history of Vienna with regard to patriotic art, architecture, music and literature. Gottlieb 1883, Vienna, p. 606, fig. 241 .
  12. ↑ Peter Brosche, Klaralinda Ma-Kircher: The Viennese astronomer Elisabeth von Matt (1762-1814) . In: Wiener Geschichtsblätter 67 . Issue 3. Vienna 2012, p. 266-267 .
  13. ^ Johann Friedrich Wurm : Length calculations for Trient, Josephstadt, Lübeck, Zurich and Baden in Austrian. In: Astronomical News. No 125. Heinrich Christian Schumacher, 1827, accessed April 8, 2021 .
  14. ↑ Isolde Müller: Spiegelsextant. In: Observatory Museum of the University Observatory. Retrieved April 3, 2021 .
  15. ↑ JE Bode (ed.): Astronomical yearbook for the year 1817 . 1814, p. 175 ( full version in Google Book Search).
  16. ↑ JE Bode (ed.): Astronomical yearbook for the year 1817 . 1814, p. 252–253 ( full version in Google Book Search).
  17. ^ The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Retrieved April 2, 2021 .
  18. ↑ JPL Small-Body Database Browser. NASA, accessed March 8, 2021 .
personal data
SURNAME Matt, Elisabeth of
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Matt, Elisabeth; Humelauer, Maria Elisabeth Josepha Catharina (maiden name); Humlauer, Marie Elisabeth (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian astronomer and geodesist
DATE OF BIRTH August 20, 1762
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH March 1, 1814
PLACE OF DEATH Vienna