Ernst Karl Abbe (* 23 January 1840 in iron oh, Thuringia; "† 14 January 1905 in Jena, Thuringia) was a German astronomer, physicist, a Optiker, an entrepreneur and a social reformer. It created the bases of the modern optics together with Carl Zeiss and Otto bulkhead and developed many optical instruments.

Ernst Abbe came as a son of a spinning mill worker from poor conditions, however already early as talented was recognized. A scholarship of the University of Goettingen made 1859 in Goettingen for it possible and later in Jena mathematics, physics, philosophy, to study politics and sociology. 1861 he became an assistant at the observatory in Goettingen. it went to 1863 back to Jena, where it habilitierte itself in the summer 1863. it employed 1866 with the computation and production of Apochromaten and 1867 developed it spectrometers, comparator and condensor lens. 1870 were appointed Abbe the extraordinary professor (relieved since 1891 of training obligations again). 1878 he became a director of the observatory Jena.

Ernst Abbe married 1871 Else Snell, the daughter of the mathematician and physicist professor Karl Snell, a teacher Abbes.

Work

Since 1866 it was friendly with Carl Zeiss and accomplished research work for Zeiss, later occurred it the company. Zeiss asked Abbe for a scientific investigation for the production of optical devices, which should lead more from constant trying out to one industriellen manufacturing. Among other things from it the optimized adjustment of the eyeglass lenses developed to the eye errors as well as the introduction of the diopter number.

Abbe solved the problem of the Farbverzerrung with the lenses from microscope objectives. Using new glasses of the company Schott & Gen. developed it apochromatische microscope optics. Thus for the first time really efficient microscopes became possible, which in the future the research possibilities of biology, in particular the Botanik, Zytologie, microbiology and the medicine drastically improved.

Together with the chemist Otto bulkhead and Zeiss created Abbe 1884 the glass works "bulkhead and comrade" in Jena, which was established soon as enterprise of world-wide reputation. In the same year Abbe got the young physicist Siegfried Czapski into the company, which became later its successor.

Abbe was the prominent scientist and late partner of the Carl Zeiss works in Jena and help the enterprise to world validity. After the death of Carl Zeiss he took over 1889 the exclusive line of the work. Ernst Abbe was famous for its social conscience. 1891 it created the Carl Zeiss donation, to which it overwrote its entire fortune.

As a director of the Zeiss works Ernst Abbe, who came of to a worker family, carried out numerous trailblazing sociopolitical conceptions. Thus it introduced the eight hours' working day, the continuation of wage payment to the turn of the century into the medical case, paid vacation, a firm pension and the right to a work council, created social works for the coworkers and a profit-sharing for all persons employed.

The profound effect Abbes on the areas tool-making and optics found its precipitation in the fact that its name was connected with different terms from this field of work. Perhaps most well-known is the Abbe number. In addition, the Abbe invariant, the Abbe sine condition, the Abbe refractometer, the Abbe comparator principle or the Abbe comparator carry its names.

Honors, honours

It in honours a training building for mathematics and physics in Jena Abbeanum is called. Also a place, a road and the football stadium in Jena, a road in Berlin (close DO Berlin), a road in Luebeck (university quarter), a road in Eschweiler as well as High Schools in Jena, iron oh, upper cooking and Berlin are designated after it. To DO Ilmenau gives it for some time the "seriousness Abbe center" as training building for technical Physik.Die companies Carl Zeiss and Otto the bulkheads have together with the city Jena on the occasion of Abbes 100. Day of death on 14 January 2005 the seriousness Abbe year 2005 proclaimed.

The work Abbes can be visited in the optical museum in Jena. At the Carl Zeiss place in Jena is the seriousness Abbe monument.

After the Carl Zeiss donation, which should have their seat in Jena after the will Ernst Abbes, became to smash, in order, created one is sufficient to do 1992 in Jena the seriousness Abbe donation to the will of the over-powerful West German Zeiss company. These measures contradict clearly the will Abbes, which this laid down in the donation statute of the Carl Zeiss donation.

Writings

• New apparatuses for the determination of the refraction and firm and liquid bodies, Jena 1874
• Improvements of the microscope with the help of new kinds of optical glass, Jena 1886
• Collected papers (5 volumes), Jena 1904 to 1940, reproduction: Hindelsheim 1989

Exchange of letters

• Exchange of letters between Otto bulkhead and Ernst Abbe over the optical glass, 1879 - 1881, (works on from Herbert publications of the Thuringian historical commission, volume 2, Jena 1946

Literature

• Norbert "Ernst Abbe, of the Zeiss donation", scientific publishing house company Stuttgart 1951
• Harald people man: "Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe. Their life and their work", Oldenbourg Munich 1966
• Joachim Wittig: "Ernst Abbe", Teubner Leipzig 1989, ISBN 3-322-00686-7
• Ruediger pride (Hrsg.): "Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe. Life, working and meaning", university University of Jena 1993, ISBN 3-925978-14-3
• Thomas (Hrsg.): "The seriousness Abbe monument", Rhino Arnstadt 1996, ISBN 3-932081-03-X
• Kerstin Gerth: "Ernst Abbe. Scientist, entrepreneur, social reformer", bus set & Stadeler Jena 2005
• Bernd Henriette Mueller: "Ernst Abbe - the unknown genius. Tracing in Jena, iron oh, Goettingen and Frankfurt/Main", Bussert and Stadeler Jena 2005, ISBN 3-932906-67-5

Related links

• Seriousness Abbe year 2005: Abbes of patents (Carl Zeiss AG)
• Entry in the mathematician family tree
• Master of the microscopes. Before 100 years the physicist Ernst Abbe from the row calendar sheet of the Deutschlandfunk died.

Articles in category "Ernst Abbe"

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