Peter Schmidt (geoscientist)

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Peter Schmidt (born June 17, 1939 in Gerstungen ; † February 6, 1999 in Freiberg ) was a German geoscientist and librarian.

Life

Schmidt learned the trade of a miner and worked in the Thuringian potash mining. At the Wilhelm Pieck Faculty of Workers and Farmers in Freiberg, he prepared for a course of study at the Freiberg Mining Academy. In 1959 he began studying geology there , and after obtaining his geology diploma, he also took up the geophysics course at Otto Meißer as an assistant .

Since 1968 Schmidt worked at the library of the Bergakademie . Schmidt received his doctorate in the same year with his dissertation, submitted on March 4, 1969, on the subject of contributions to macro-seismics in the Saxon Vogtland and the adjacent areas for the period 1500–1967 . In the 1970s Schmidt was appointed curator of the library's old scientific holdings, which he headed until his death.

Schmidt published more than 450 articles on the development, principles and content of the geological sciences in specialist publications, in particular in the journal for geological sciences . A special focus of his research was the life and work of Abraham Gottlob Werner . Together with the director of the library of the Montanuniversität Leoben , Court Councilor Lieselotte Jontes, Schmidt was the initiator of the symposium series The Cultural Heritage in Mining and Geosciences , which was first held in Freiberg from September 20 to 23, 1993. He was also editor of the newsletter on the history of geosciences . Schmidt became internationally known as the organizer of conferences and leader of working groups on the history of geosciences. Since April 29, 1994 he was a member of the working group on the history of astronomy in the Astronomical Society. Schmidt got involved in the erection of the monument to Alexander von Humboldt and Johann Carl Freiesleben , which was inaugurated on June 14, 1995 on the Freiberg Wernerplatz near the hat house of the Kuhschacht treasure trove. To finance the monument, he published a city guide together with Otfried Wagenbreth and other authors.

Together with the Gotha historical researcher Helmut Roob (1924–2017), Peter Schmidt opened up the estate of Adolf Schmidt (1860–1944) in the Gotha Research Library and published a brochure containing the handwritten estate of the important geophysicist who contributed fundamentally to the research and description of geomagnetism has, clearly arranged according to biography, lists and describes scientific essays and records on geomagnetism, meteorology, astronomy and from high school and university as well as the letters. An introduction to the life and work of Adolf Schmidt, an overview of his life data and a bibliography of his publications complete this important historical scientific publication, which filled a gap in 1985 and has not lost its importance to this day.

As the organizer of the international Werner Symposium on the history of science , which was held on September 19 to 24, 1999 on the occasion of Abraham Gottlob Werner's 250th birthday in Freiberg , Schmidt suddenly died before he had finished his work.

Honor

During the 5th symposium The Cultural Heritage in Mining and Geosciences in Golden (Colorado) in 2000, the Peter Schmidt Award was presented for the first time . The prize is awarded every 2 years for special commitment to the preservation of cultural heritage in the geo and mining sciences.

Works (selection)

  • On the history of geology, geophysics, mineralogy and paleontology. Bibliography and Repertory for the German Democratic Republic . in: Publications of the library of the Bergakademie Freiberg No. 40, Freiberg 1970.
  • with Heinz Meixner and Walter Schellhas : Balthasar Rösler : Personality and Work for the Mining of the 17th Century . German publishing house for basic industry, Leipzig 1980.
  • Unknown Jakob Krause binding for the Chronicon Carionis in Freiberg . in: Publications of the scientific information center of the Bergakademie Freiberg, No. 88, Freiberg 1981.
  • Bibliography of the works presented in the GDR 1977–1982 on the history of geology, mineralogy, geophysics and paleontology . in: Publications of the Scientific Information Center of the Bergakademie Freiberg No. 106, Freiberg 1984.
  • with Helmut Roob: Adolf Schmidt (1860-1944), handwritten estate of the geomagnetist and bibliography of his publications, indexed and processed by Helmut Roob and Peter Schmidt. Gotha Research Library, Gotha 1985.
  • Excursion guide through the historic old town of Freiberg . Freiberg 1993.
  • For knowledge of geosciences in the 16th century . GGW, Berlin 1994.
  • with Hellmut Albrecht and Werner Arnold: Contributions to the history of geology, mining and monument protection. Festschrift for the 70th birthday of Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Otfried Wagenbreth . TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg 1998.

literature

  • Non sibi sed publico = Not for oneself, for the general public: Dr. Peter Schmidt (1939-1999) ; Bibliography of his publications / compiled by Angela Kießling. in: Publications of the University Library No. 134, Freiberg 2001
  • Announcements of the German Geophysical Society, issue 2/1999 (Nekrolog)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Helmut Roob and Peter Schmidt: Adolf Schmidt (1860-1944), handwritten estate of the geomagnetist and bibliography of his publications, indexed and made accessible by Helmut Roob and Peter Schmidt . Gotha Research Library, Gotha 1985.
  2. ^ Philipp Reichelt: Non sibi sed publico - In Memoriam Dr. Peter Schmidt from June 17, 2019 - Blog of the University Library (UB) of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg [1]
personal data
SURNAME Schmidt, Peter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German geoscientist and librarian
DATE OF BIRTH June 17, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Barley
DATE OF DEATH February 6, 1999
Place of death Freiberg