Wilhelm Ostwald

Wilhelm Ostwald was born the September 2nd 1853 with Rīga and died the April 4th 1932 with Grossbothen, close to Leipzig.

This German physicochemist began his career as assistant in Physique with the university of Dorpat (Estonia) before becoming professor with Rīga in 1881, then professor at the university of Leipzig in 1887 where he taught chemistry and philosophy. He became then director of the institute of physicochemistry. He has developed in 1900, with his son-in-law Eberhard Brauer, a process of synthesis of the nitric Acid starting from Ammoniac. This process bears their name today. It was rewarded by the Nobel Prize in 1909 for its work on the chemical catalysis and its research on the basic principles which control chemical balance and reaction speeds. He was also prize winner of the Faraday Lectureship of the Royal society off chemistry in 1904. From 191, Ostwald was interested in the theory of the colors, and it aimed to found scientifically the chromatic system while making possible a theory of the harmony of the couelurs which can be used as a basis for esthetics and art of painting.

In addition to its properly scientific contributions, Ostwald developed a certain number of philosophical designs as for the nature of reality. He was a fervent supporter of the energetism, before converting tardily with the Atomisme. He sought scientifically to develop this general theory which supported that energy was the true shape of the matter. He was as from 1910 and with Ernst Haeckel a dominant figure of German Monisme, approaches which was presented in the form of a scientific design of the world. Ostwald also defended the project to establish universal standards for the currency or for the language. It was interested within this framework in creation of universal languages like the Esperanto or the Ido

External bonds

  • Wilhelm-Ostwald-Gesellschaft
  • Portrait YOU Harburg
  • Written of Ostwald and works on the colors
  • Information on English Ostwald
  • Autobiography of Ostwald: '' Lebenslinien '' vol. 1
  • '' Lebenslinien '' vol. 2
  • '' Lebenslinien '' vol. 3
  • Written and on Wilhelm Ostwald

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