Steinheil, Karl August von |
| ASTRONOMER, PHYSICIST, PHYSICIST, OPTICIAN, ENTREPENEUR (GERMANY) |
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BORN 12 Oct 1801, Ribeauvillé, Haut-Rhin - DIED 12 Sep 1870, München, Bayern GRAVE LOCATION München, Bayern: Alter Südfriedhof, Thalkirchnerstrasse 17 (34-01-20) |
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Karl August von Steinheil was the son of Carl Philip Steinheil (1747-1830), the rent collector for Max Josef von Bayern. His mother was Christiane Maria Franziska von Biasowski. He studied law in Erlangen, followed by astronomy and physics in Göttingen and in Königsberg. In Königsberg Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel was his teacher. After his studies he lived at his father's estate at Perlachseck in Munich. He worked as a teacher and did research. In 1827 he married Magaretha Amalie Steinheil, the daughter of the merchant Friedrich Steinheil from Frankfurt am Main. In 1835 he was appointed professor of mathematics and physics at the University of Munich. In 1836 he designed the first usable typewriter telegraph, but it was only noticed by academics. In 1838 his experiments on the tracks of the Ludwig Railway in Fürth led to the rediscovery of electrical conductivity of the earth. This had previously been discovered in 1803 by Friedrich Heinrich Basse (1773-1829), but now it led to a simplification for telegraphy. In the following years he created further inventions. In 1842 the Bavarian government asked him to regulate Bavarian weights and measures. In 1846 the Neapolitan government asked him to do the same. For Austria expanded the telegraphy system andin 1851 he worked in Switzerland. He returned to Munich in 1852. In that year he worked with Léon Foucault on a method for coating glass surfaces with a layer silver, thus enabling the development of large reflecting telescopes. In 1855 he founded an optical workshop where he was assisted by his sons. It produced telescopes and other instruments. He was a member of several scientifical organisations, including the Prussian Academy of Sciences. He died in in 1870 in Munich. Related persons • cooperated with Foucault, Léon • cooperated with Kobell, Franz, Ritter von |
| Images |
 The grave of Karl August von Steinheil at the Alter Südfriedhof in München, Bayern. Picture by Androom (22 Aug 2024) |
