Werner Lieber

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Werner Lieber (born January 18, 1925 in Karlsruhe ) is a German chemist and mineralogist, non-fiction author and pioneer of mineral photography.

Live and act

After studying chemistry and mineralogy at the Technical University of Karlsruhe and then working as a teaching assistant at the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry there, Lieber joined the main laboratory of Portland Zementwerke Heidelberg AG (today: HeidelbergCement AG) in Leimen on June 1, 1955 Heidelberg and initially took over the management of the chemistry department. One of his concerns was the training of chemical laboratory technicians for the company, which he took over from 1957 and for which he remained responsible throughout his entire professional career.

From 1967 he headed the main laboratory with the departments chemistry, mineralogy, physics, cement and plaster technology and in this position also had the technical supervision of the factory laboratories of the Heidelberg cement works. The introduction of X-ray fluorescence analysis at Heidelberger Zement goes back to his initiative . With its extremely short measurement duration, this technology made it possible to considerably increase the scope and quality of chemical analysis and formed the prerequisite for setting up modern laboratory automation.

Among other things, he made contributions to chemical analysis, the understanding of the hydraulic properties and the rapid testing of blast furnace slag and the effect of additives on the setting and hardening of Portland cements . It was not least this work that led to the founding of the HZ subsidiary "Addiment" in 1975 at the Leimen location, which has been part of SIKA AG since 2002 .

The results of his work were reflected in several patents.

Mineralogical-geological commitment

Werner Lieber is a member of the German Mineralogical Society DMG. Since it was founded in 1950, he has been a member of the Association of Friends of Mineralogy and Geology eV (VFMG eV). From 1952 to 1956 he had a seat on the advisory board and was a member of the board from 1959 to 1971, of which he was chairman for over 9½ years. He has been an honorary member of the association since 1983.

Mineralogical-geological and geological journeys led him through Europe, to North, Central and South America, Africa, Sri Lanka, China and Australia. In 134 articles (as of 2018), many of which appeared in the publication medium of the VFMG, the magazine “Der Aufschluss”, in the magazine “Lapis” and in “Der Heidelberger Portländer”, as well as in about as many specialist lectures, the esteemed, charismatic speakers passed on his knowledge and experience. His non-fiction books and illustrated books on minerals, the structure of collections and famous finds and deposits are characterized by the comprehensibility of the texts and the aesthetic demands of the illustrations. His first book "Der Mineraliensammler" is a standard work for collectors and reached 30,000 copies in 7 editions.

Together with Wilhelm Simon he started the German Mineral Exchange, which took place for the first time in 1964 in the Festhalle in Leimen (today the “Portland Forum am Herrenberg”). On the occasion of his 90th birthday in 2015, the magazine "Mineralien-Welt" recognized him as "[...] probably the most prominent" actor "in the German mineral scene".

Werner Lieber donated his mineral collection of around 1600 levels to his alma mater, the University of Karlsruhe.

Publications (selection)

  • "Der Mineraliensammler", Thun 1963, 7th edition 1978, ISBN 3722562031
  • "Crystals under the magnifying glass", Thun 1972, ISBN 9783722562216
  • "Colorful world of beautiful stones", Stuttgart 1969, 4th edition 1978, ISBN 3440036057
  • "Mineralogy in keywords", Kiel 1969, 2nd edition 1979, ISBN 3554801011
  • "Crystals - as they really are", Munich 1977, ISBN 9783921656020
  • "People - Mines - Minerals, Mineralogy in 10 Millennia", Munich 1978, ISBN 9783921656105
  • "Canyons, copper and cacti, forays through the Wild West", Thun 1987, ISBN 9783722562926
  • "Calcite - Building Block of Life", Munich 1990, ISBN 3921656443
  • "Amethyst - history, properties, locations", Munich 1994, ISBN 9783921656334
  • "The fluorescence of minerals", VFMG Heidelberg 1957
  • "Luminous Crystals: Interesting Facts about Fluorescence", Wiesloch Verlag Vetter 1974

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Information on the author in the book: "Crystals - Beauty through Mistakes", Christian Weise Verlag 2006
  2. ↑ a b c d e “Dr. Werner Lieber - member of the VFMG for 60 years and honorary member "in" der Aufschluss ", JG. 61, May / June 2010, pp. 129–130 ( available online at yumpu.com )
  3. ↑ a b c d e HZ information no. 1/88 “On to new research trips, Dr. Werner Lieber in active retirement "
  4. ↑ "The mode of action of additives". Internal research report No. 1/1970, Portland-Zementwerke Heidelberg AG, research and advice center
  5. ↑ Werner Lieber "Cement - Production, Properties, Hydration (special print from" Handbuch der Keramik ", Verlag Schmid GmbH, Freiburg)
  6. ↑ Chemie.de: Sika AG buys Addiment by Heidelberger Bauchemie , June 28, 2002
  7. ↑ Patent selection DP 1196 627, DP 1217 833, EP 0302 201 A1
  8. ↑ Birthday list of the DMG
  9. ↑ a b Article Dr. Werner Lieber on his 90th birthday at mineralien-welt.de
  10. ↑ a b Article on Werner Lieber's 90th birthday at lapis.de
  11. ^ Rhein-Neckar industrial culture: Portland Forum on Herrenberg - festival hall of HeidelbergCement AG in Leimen
personal data
SURNAME Dear Werner
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German chemist, mineralogist, non-fiction author and pioneer of mineral photography
DATE OF BIRTH January 18, 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH Karlsruhe