Wilhelm Ostwald

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Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald (2 September, O.S.)

1853–4 April 1932) was a Baltic German chemist and philosopher who lived in Estonia. 1853 – 1932; 1932.

In 1909, he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his experiments on catalysis, chemical equilibria, and reaction velocities.

Ostwald, Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, Walther Nernst, and Svante Arrhenius are all considered to be the field's modern pioneers.

Early life and education

Ostwald was born in Riga, Russian Empire (now Latvia) to master-cooper Gottfried Wilhelm Ostwald (1824–1903) and Elisabeth Leuckel (1824–1903). He was the middle child of three children born after Eugen (1851-1932) and before Gottfried (1855-1918). As a child, Ostwald developed an interest in science and carried out experiments at his house, particularly with fireworks and photography.

In 1872, Ostwald attended the University of Dorpat (now the University of Tartu, Estonia). In 1875, he passed his Kandidatenschrift examinations. Ostwald had a strong interest in the humanities, the arts, and philosophy during his time at Dorpat, which became a point of interest for his research after his 1906 departure from academia.

Personal life

Helene von Reyher (1854-1946), with whom he had five children, was born on April 24, 1880. Grete (1982–1960) was born in Riga and died in Dresden; Wolfgang (1883–1943) was born in Riga and died in Dresden; Elisabeth (1884-1958) was born in Riga and died in Leipzig; and Carl Otto (1890–1958) was born in Riga and died in Leipzig. Wolfgang Ostwald was a well-known scientist in the field of colloid chemistry.

In Bayreuth, Ostwald was introduced to the Scottish Rite Masonry and became the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge "Zur Aufgehenden Sonne."

He went to Leipzig in 1887, where he continued to Leipzig for the remainder of his life. He returned to a country estate near Grobothen, Saxony, which he described as "Landhaus Energies" at the time of his retirement. The majority of his life, he lived on the country estate for the most part.

Ostwald was an atheist with a liberal conviction. Ostwald died in a hospital in Leipzig on April 4th, 1932, and was buried in his country estate near Leipzig, then re-interred in Riga's Great Cemetery.

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Academic career

In 1875, Ostwald began his career as an unpaid investigator at the University of Dorpat. He and his contemporary Johann Lemberg were both employed in Carl Schmidt's lab. Lemberg taught Ostwald many of the fundamentals of inorganic composition analysis and determination of equilibria and chemical reaction rates. Ostwald was also taught by Lemberg the chemical basis of several geologic phenomena. Ostwald's later research interests revolved around these ventures. Ostwald participated in Carl Schmidt's laboratory but also worked in the university's physics department with Arthur von Oettingen.

After Oettingen's assistant moved to Riga in 1877, he continued his studies as an unpaid investigator in the University of Dorpat's Chemistry Laboratory. He also supported himself for a time by teaching mathematics and science at a Dorpat high school.

Ostwald was particularly interested in chemical affinity and chemical reactions that produced chemical compounds. At the time, chemists were wrestling over the central theoretical question. Ostwald created a three-dimensional affinity table that factored in temperature as well as the affinity constants of acids and bases as part of his earlier work. Ostwald also investigated mass action, electrochemistry, and chemical dynamics.

Ostwald earned his Magisterial degree at the University of Dorpat in 1877, allowing him to lecture and teach. In 1878, Ostwald wrote his doctoral dissertation at the University of Dorpat, with Carl Schmidt as his thesis advisor. Volumchemische und Optisch-Chemische Studien (Volumchemische undialysis Studies), his doctoral dissertation was titled "Volumchemische undossische Studien" (Volumetric and Optical-Chemical Studies). He became Carl Schmidt's paid assistant in 1879.

Ostwald, a professor of Chemistry at Riga Polytechnic University in 1881, became a Professor of Chemistry (now Riga Technical University). He travelled to Leipzig University in 1887, where he became Professor of Physical Chemistry. Ostwald remained on the faculty at Leipzig University until his retirement in 1906. In 1904 and 1905, he served as Harvard University's first "exchange professor."

During Ostwald's academic career, he had several research students who became excellent scientists in their own right. Svante Arrhenius, Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, and Walther Nernst were among the Nobel Laureates selected. Arthur Noyes, Willis Rodney Whitney, and Kikunae Ikeda were among the other students. All of these students became well-known for their contributions to physical chemistry.

Albert Einstein, a 1901 graduate of Ostwald's laboratory, applied for a research position. This was four years before Einstein's book on special relativity appeared. Ostwald turned down Einstein's call, but the two men developed a deep mutual admiration later. Ostwald nominated Einstein for the Nobel Prize in 1910 and then in 1913.

Ostwald, a scholar, became interested in philosophy, politics, and other humanities after his 1906 retirement.

Ostwald wrote more than 500 original research papers on the scientific literature and nearly 45 books in his academic career.

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