Gerhard vom Rath
Encyclopedia
Gerhard vom Rath was a German mineralogist, born at Duisburg in Prussia
.
He was educated at Cologne
, at Bonn University, and finally at Berlin
, where he graduated Ph.D.
in 1853. In 1856 he became assistant to Johann Jakob Nöggerath
in the mineral
ogical museum at Bonn
, and succeeded to the directorship in 1872. Meanwhile in 1863 he was appointed extraordinary professor of geology
, and in 1872 he became professor of geology and mineralogy in the university at Bonn. He was distinguished for his accurate researches on mineralogy and crystallography
; he described a great many new minerals, some of which were discovered by him, and he contributed largely to our knowledge of other minerals, notably in an essay on tridymite
. He travelled much in southern Europe
, Palestine
and the United States
, and wrote several essays on petrology
, geology and physical geography, on earthquake
s and on meteorite
s. He died at Koblenz
in 1888.
, in the Zeitschrift der deutschen geologischen Gesellschaft, and in the Monatsberichten of the Berlin Academy. Among his own publications were:
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
.
He was educated at Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, at Bonn University, and finally at Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he graduated Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1853. In 1856 he became assistant to Johann Jakob Nöggerath
Johann Jakob Nöggerath
Johann Jacob Noeggerath , German mineralogist and geologist, was born at Bonn. In 1814-1815 he became commissioner of mines for some of the Rhine Provinces, and in 1818 professor of mineralogy and afterwards professor of geology, director of the Museum of Natural History and chief of the mining...
in the mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
ogical museum at Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, and succeeded to the directorship in 1872. Meanwhile in 1863 he was appointed extraordinary professor of geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, and in 1872 he became professor of geology and mineralogy in the university at Bonn. He was distinguished for his accurate researches on mineralogy and crystallography
Crystallography
Crystallography is the experimental science of the arrangement of atoms in solids. The word "crystallography" derives from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and grapho = write.Before the development of...
; he described a great many new minerals, some of which were discovered by him, and he contributed largely to our knowledge of other minerals, notably in an essay on tridymite
Tridymite
Tridymite is a high-temperature polymorph of quartz and usually occurs as minute tabular white or colorless pseudo-hexagonal triclinic crystals, or scales, in cavities in acidic volcanic rocks. Its chemical formula is SiO2. Tridymite was first described in 1868 and the type location is in Hidalgo,...
. He travelled much in southern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and wrote several essays on petrology
Petrology
Petrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, and the conditions in which rocks form....
, geology and physical geography, on earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s and on meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
s. He died at Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
in 1888.
Work
He published the results of his researches in Poggendorf's Annalen der Physik und ChemieAnnalen der Physik
Annalen der Physik is one of the oldest physics journals worldwide. The journal publishes original, peer-reviewed papers in the areas of experimental, theoretical, applied and mathematical physics and related areas...
, in the Zeitschrift der deutschen geologischen Gesellschaft, and in the Monatsberichten of the Berlin Academy. Among his own publications were:
- Ein Ausflug nach Kalabrien (Bonn 1871)
- Der Monzoni im südlichen Tirol (1875)
- Siebenbürgen (Heidelberg 1880)
- Durch Italien und Griechenland nach dem heiligen Land, Reisebriefe (Heidelberg 1882, 2 vols.)
- Arizona (Heidelberg 1885)
- Pennsylvanien (Heidelberg 1888)
- Über den Granit (Berlin. 1878)
- Über das Gold (Berlin 1879)
- Naturwissenschaftliche Studien. Erinnerungen an die Pariser Weltausstellung (Bonn 1879).