Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann

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Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann
Grave of Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann in the Eliasfriedhof in Dresden, the tombstone has since been replaced by a copy.

Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann (born January 31, 1796 in Dresden ; † February 20, 1840 there ) was a German geodesist , topographer , astronomer and meteorologist .

Life

Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann was born as the son of the council brick master of the same name in the Pirnaische suburb of Dresden. In his hometown he attended the garrison school and completed a degree in architecture there after graduating from the General Art Academy of Painting, Sculpture, Engraving and Architecture .

At the age of nineteen Lohrmann turned to geodesy and was a lifelong employee of the Royal Saxon Camera Surveying Institute . A short time later he also began independent scientific activity as an amateur astronomer, in the process he came to discoveries that were of worldwide importance in astronomy .

In 1827 Lohrmann became chief inspector of the Mathematical-Physical Salon in Dresden . As early as 1822 he had undertaken an educational trip with Wilhelm Ernst August von Schlieben to visit polytechnic schools and then submitted a draft for the establishment of one in the Kingdom of Saxony , but this failed because of conservative forces. In his new role he was instrumental in advocating for it again in 1827 when King Anton intronated . The latter determined for the technical educational institute founded in 1828 , the forerunner of today's Technical University of Dresden , that the management needed a special head. The management appointed Lohrmann as the first head , which made the Brühl garden pavilion one of his areas of activity.

On January 1, 1840, Lohrmann was appointed director of the camera surveying institute, but died of typhus on February 20 . His grave is in the Eliasfriedhof in Dresden in field D 22-2.

Moon map

From 1825 he began to create a map of the moon , of which he was only able to publish four sheets until his death. The moon map "Mondcharte in 25 Sections" was completed by Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt and published in 1877 under the name of Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann.

Souvenirs and honors

Lohrmann observatory in the tower of the Beyer building
  • In the Dresden district of Rähnitz , a meridian column still reminds of Lohrmann's work as a geodesist. This meridian column was used as the northern destination for Lohrmann's time measurements and is provided with a relief plaque in memory of Lohrmann. As a result of the incorporation of Reick , Lohrmannstrasse was named after him.
  • The Lohrmann Institute for Geodetic Astronomy was founded at the TU Dresden in 1961 . Since the abolition of the institutes at the TU Dresden in 1968 it has been called the "Lohrmann Observatory". It is located in the Beyer building of the TU Dresden. In the Lohrmann Observatory there is a collection of astronomical and geodetic instruments, the oldest exhibits of which date from 1830.
  • The TU Dresden has been awarding the Lohrmann Medal to the best graduate of a faculty since the 1960s.
  • The lunar crater Lohrmann has been named after him since 1935, and in 1991 the asteroid (4680) Lohrmann was named after him.
  • In memory and appreciation of Lohrmann's commitment to founding the predecessor institution of the TU Dresden, the chemists chose the name “Lohrmanns Brew” for their brewery spin-off.

Works

  • Topography of the visible lunar surface . Leipzig 1824
  • Map of the moon. Medium libration . Leipzig 1839
  • The sun's planetary system . Dresden 1822 (with three cards)

literature

Web links

Commons : Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Peter Bäumler: Rejection - Petitions - Foundation. WG Lohrmann and the founding of the Dresden Alma Mater . In: Dresdner Universitätsjournal , Volume 14, No. 15, September 30, 2003, p. 12 ( online ).
  2. ^ Viktor Böhmert:  Schlieben, Wilhelm Ernst August von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 31, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1890, pp. 510-512.
  3. ↑ Manfred Holl: History of the moon maps: The 19th century
  4. ↑ Entry Lohrmannstrasse in the Dresden City Wiki
  5. ↑ Minor Planet Circ. 18461
  6. ↑ Heiko Weckbrodt: University beer from Dresden will be called "Lohrmanns" . In: Dresdner Latest News , July 8, 2019: "Our name 'Lohrmanns' is derived from the founder of the TU Dresden, Wilhelm Gotthelf Lohrmann"
  7. ↑ Torsten Hilscher: First Saxon university brewery with delicious TU beer In: TAG24 , August 7, 2019
personal data
SURNAME Lohrmann, Wilhelm Gotthelf
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German geodesist, topographer, astronomer and meteorologist
DATE OF BIRTH January 31, 1796
PLACE OF BIRTH Dresden
DATE OF DEATH February 20, 1840
Place of death Dresden