Gruithuisen, Franz von Paula |
| ASTRONOMER, PHYSIAN (GERMANY) |
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BORN 19 Mar 1774, Burg Haltenberg am Lech, Schongau, Bayern - DIED 21 Jun 1852, München, Bayern GRAVE LOCATION München, Bayern: Alter Südfriedhof, Thalkirchnerstrasse 17 (04-02-47) |
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Son of a Dutch father and a German mother. Around 1790 he served as a assistant surgeon in the Austrian army. He studied philosophy and medicine in Landshut and in 1808 he became a teacher in physics, chemistry, botany and other fields. In 1820 he married Antonie Carolina Neuner. In 1823 he obtained a professorship at a school in Munich. He believed there was life on the moon and in 1824 he published his findings in "Entdeckung vieler deutlicher Spuren der Mondbewohner, besonders eines colossalen Kunstgebäudes derselben". Reactions of surprise followed but most of the academic world was sceptical and soon his claims were refuted after using more powerful instruments to observer the moon. After visiting other European universities in 1825, became Professor at the university of Munich in 1826 and in 1830 he obtained the position of Professor of Astronomy at that university. The Gruithuisen crater on the Moon was named after him. |
| Images |
 The grave of Franz von Gruithuisen at the Alte Südfriedhof, München. Picture by Androom (22 Aug 2008) |
