Christiaan Brunings
Encyclopedia
Christiaan Brunings was a Dutch
hydraulic engineer.
-Neckarau in Germany
. After high school he attended the University of Heidelberg. He had to break off his studies for lack of money and found work in the vinegar
works of his brother in the Netherlands. Here he met Jan Noppen (1706-1764), superintendent of the Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland
(Rijnland
Water Board). He was Brunings' mentor and taught him music, mathematics, physics, astronomy and engineering. After the death of Noppen, Brunings succeeded him on 25 May 1765 in his function.
. Brunings spent more than thirty years as head of Dutch public works, from 1800 as Inspector-General of the Public Works of the Batavian Republic
; from 1803 as Director of the country's river and sea works.
Brunings played an important role in the negotiations between Frederick the Great, King in Prussia
, and the provinces of Holland and Gelderland
on the distribution of water from the Rhine in the Waal, Lower Rhine
and IJssel
. After 22 years of negotiations a treaty was signed in 1771 on the Rhine water distribution, which meant a first step in international water management consulting business. He was also involved in improving the dikes along the Rhine to help prevent damaging floods.
Brunings is also known for the invention of an instrument for measuring water flow. In 1789 he published a detailed practical treatise on river flow including an account of his and other water-flow meters. In his house, "Zwanenburg", in Halfweg he conducted meteorological observations, following a tradition established by Noppen.
in Haarlem
, "Nederlands Raad en Beschermer tegen de Woede der Zee en der Stormen" ("Dutch counsel and guard against the anger of the sea of storms"), a statement of his disciple and successor, Frederik Willem Conrad, who published the first biography of him in 1827.
In 1900 a new steam icebreaker
for the Rijkswaterstaat was named after him. The SS Christian Brunings has since 1968 been part of the collection of museum ships belonging to the Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
hydraulic engineer.
Early life
Brunings was the son of a preacher in MannheimMannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
-Neckarau in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After high school he attended the University of Heidelberg. He had to break off his studies for lack of money and found work in the vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
works of his brother in the Netherlands. Here he met Jan Noppen (1706-1764), superintendent of the Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland
Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland
The Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland is the oldest Water board of the Netherlands, having received its first commission to protect the land from flooding back in 1248 from William II of Holland. It conducts water control activities in the general area known as Rijnland...
(Rijnland
Rijnland
The name Rijnland means "Rhineland" in Dutch. When referring to the Rhine in Germany, "Rijnland" has the same meaning as "Rhineland" in English or "Rheinland" in German...
Water Board). He was Brunings' mentor and taught him music, mathematics, physics, astronomy and engineering. After the death of Noppen, Brunings succeeded him on 25 May 1765 in his function.
Work
In 1769 Brunings became Inspector General of the Government Rivers, giving more attention to water management of the upper rivers. In 1798 he was appointed head of the Bureau voor den Waterstaat (Office of Public Works), the forerunner of the RijkswaterstaatRijkswaterstaat
Rijkswaterstaat, founded in 1798 as the Bureau voor den Waterstaat, is part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the former Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management...
. Brunings spent more than thirty years as head of Dutch public works, from 1800 as Inspector-General of the Public Works of the Batavian Republic
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
; from 1803 as Director of the country's river and sea works.
Brunings played an important role in the negotiations between Frederick the Great, King in Prussia
King in Prussia
King in Prussia was a title used by the Electors of Brandenburg from 1701 to 1772. Subsequently they used the title King of Prussia....
, and the provinces of Holland and Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
on the distribution of water from the Rhine in the Waal, Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
and IJssel
IJssel
River IJssel , sometimes called Gelderse IJssel to avoid confusion with its Hollandse IJssel namesake in the west of the Netherlands, is a branch of the Rhine in the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel...
. After 22 years of negotiations a treaty was signed in 1771 on the Rhine water distribution, which meant a first step in international water management consulting business. He was also involved in improving the dikes along the Rhine to help prevent damaging floods.
Brunings is also known for the invention of an instrument for measuring water flow. In 1789 he published a detailed practical treatise on river flow including an account of his and other water-flow meters. In his house, "Zwanenburg", in Halfweg he conducted meteorological observations, following a tradition established by Noppen.
Legacy
The significance of Brunings for the development of Dutch water management is clear from his tomb in Sint-BavokerkSint-Bavokerk
The Grote Kerk or St.-Bavokerk is a Protestant church and former Catholic cathedral located on the central market square in the Dutch city of Haarlem...
in Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
, "Nederlands Raad en Beschermer tegen de Woede der Zee en der Stormen" ("Dutch counsel and guard against the anger of the sea of storms"), a statement of his disciple and successor, Frederik Willem Conrad, who published the first biography of him in 1827.
In 1900 a new steam icebreaker
Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
for the Rijkswaterstaat was named after him. The SS Christian Brunings has since 1968 been part of the collection of museum ships belonging to the Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.