Georg Friedrich von Reichenbach

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Georg Friedrich von Reichenbach, around 1825, lithograph by Joseph Karl Stieler
Bust of Reichenbach in the Ruhmeshalle , Munich
Georg von Reichenbach (right) next to Joseph von Fraunhofer (center, demonstrating the spectroscope), painting by Rudolf Wimmer
Grave (remains of the former arcade grave) of Georg Reichenbach on the old southern cemetery in Munich location

Georg Friedrich Reichenbach , from 1813 von Reichenbach (born August 24, 1771 in Durlach , † May 21, 1826 in Munich ) was a Bavarian inventor and engineer . Together with the entrepreneur Josef von Utzschneider and the precision mechanic Joseph Liebherr , he founded an optical-mechanical workshop in 1804, which for decades produced the best theodolites and astronomical telescopes.

Life

Reichenbach was the son of a locksmith, he did his apprenticeship in Mannheim and was allowed to travel to England with the support of the elector. After his return he designed machines for a rifle factory. In 1802 he built a circle dividing machine in Munich and in 1809 developed optical precision instruments together with Joseph von Fraunhofer .

Together with Joseph Liebherr (1767–1840) and Utzschneider, he founded the famous Mathematical-Precision Mechanical Institute in Munich . It produced the best astronomical telescope lenses , measuring instruments and theodolites of the time .

Reichenbach developed numerous technical and measuring instruments , u. a. a metal planer , precise spacer threads for theodolites and the Reichenbach range finder with an exact height circle.

Reichenbach is not only considered a co-founder of the Bavarian optomechanical industry, but also a pioneer of the steam engine in Bavaria. In 1810, under his direction, the brine pipeline from Bad Reichenhall to Traunstein was technically revised and extended to Rosenheim . It was in operation until 1958 and parts of it are still (inactive) available today. In 1804 he developed and in 1817 built the 25 km long first brine pipeline from Berchtesgaden to Bad Reichenhall . To overcome the 356 m ascent, he used a water column machine he developed in 1810 to pump the brine with water power. For this he was raised to the nobility by the Bavarian King Max I. Joseph . Using the same principle, he also developed machines that pumped water into water towers , from which the drinking water was initially distributed in the supply area through wooden pipes and later through iron pipes.

His theory of cast iron tubular bridges inspired Antoine-Rémy Polonceau to build the Pont du Carrousel in Paris, which was followed by other tubular bridges.

In 1808 the Bavarian Academy of Sciences appointed him an extraordinary member, in 1808 he was appointed a full member. On December 11, 1815, he was accepted as a corresponding member of the Académie des Sciences in Paris. When Reichenbach became director of the ministerial construction office for Bavaria in 1820, the precision mechanic Traugott Ertel from Saxony took over the company.

Reichenbach died on May 21, 1826 at the age of 54 in Munich. The cause of death is suspected to be the consequences of an accident in the Augsburg waterworks in 1824 . His grave is on the old southern cemetery in Munich (Alte Arkaden Platz 11 at Gräberfeld 25) location . Immediately to the left of it (12th place) is buried the optician and physicist Joseph von Fraunhofer , with whom he had worked and who died just two weeks after Reichenbach.

Others

After Georg Reichenbach developed by him are Reichenbach threads named incorporated as stadia lines since then in every theodolite, and the special Reichenbach distance meter with exact height circle.

The lunar crater Reichenbach was named in his honor. In Munich, the Reichenbachbrücke , Reichenbachstrasse and Reichenbachplatz were named after him. In Bad Reichenhall and Mannheim, Reichenbachstrasse was named after him.

The former HOECHST AG in Burgkirchen / Gendorf acquired an original Reichenbach pump and was able to operate it in real life (for visitors and interested parties) - without an external electric drive. It feeds a fountain in the outdoor area at the pump house.

literature

  • Karl Maximilian von Bauernfeind :  Reichenbach, Georg von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 27, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1888, pp. 656-667.
  • Juliane von Åkerman: Georg Friedrich von Reichenbach . In: Jürgen Wurst, Alexander Langheiter (Ed.): Monachia. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus , Munich 2005, ISBN 3-88645-156-9 , p. 166.
  • Stephan Kellner: Georg von Reichenbach, industrial spy and inventive genius. In: Rainer A. Müller (Hrsg.): Life pictures of the early days of industrialization in Bavaria. Oldenbourg, Munich 1987, ISBN 3-486-52772-X , pp. 81-91.
  • Mathias Döring: Energy generation underground. The Reichenbach - Jordan water column machines. Deutsche Wasserhistorische Gesellschaft DWhG, Schriften 19/2012, 39–59.
  • Walther von Dyck : German Museum, biographies and documents: Georg von Reichenbach . Self-published by the Deutsches Museum Munich, Munich 1912, description of the working method and sectional drawings (Fig. 39 and 40) of both single-acting water column machines by Ilsank and Pfisterleite by Georg von Reichenbach, p. 72-74 .
  • Mathias Döring: 400 years of Upper Bavarian brine pipelines. Water management 4/2020, 12–18.

Movie

Web links

Commons : Georg Friedrich von Reichenbach  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Georg Reichenbach: Theory of bridge arches and suggestions for iron bridges in any size . Lindauer, Munich 1811 ( full text in the Google book search).
  2. ^ Karl-Eugen Kurrer : History of structural engineering. In search of balance . Ernst & Sohn , Berlin 2016, ISBN 978-3-433-03134-6 , pp. 80ff.
  3. ↑ Prof. Dr. Georg Friedrich von Reichenbach , members of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences
  4. ^ List of members since 1666: Letter R. Académie des sciences, accessed on February 20, 2020 (French).
  5. ^ Carola Zinner: Georg von Reichenbach and salt production in Berchtesgaden. ( Memento from February 10, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
  6. ↑ Carola Zinner: Josef von Fraunhofer - "This is the man we are looking for!" In: Bayern 2 , PDF file, p. 15
personal data
SURNAME Reichenbach, Georg Friedrich von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Reichenbach, Geor Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German inventor and engineer
DATE OF BIRTH August 24, 1771
PLACE OF BIRTH Durlach
DATE OF DEATH May 21, 1826
Place of death Munich