Otto von Guericke (1602 - 1686)

Field(s) of interest: scientific instruments |
Gender: male

Born: Magdeburg, 1602
Died: Hamburg, 1686

Biography:
Scientist, inventor and politician from Magdeburg, Germany. He was active during the seventeenth century. Von Guericke was the inventor of the Magdeburg hemispheres (Magdeburger Halbkugeln), a pair of large copper hemispheres with mating rims. The hemispheres became popular in physics lectures as an illustration of the power of air pressure, and are still used in education. The original hemispheres are preserved in the Deutsches Museum in Munich. Von Guerike was also mayor of Magdeburg. His major scientific achievements were the establishment of the physics of vacuums and the discovery of electrostatic repulsion.

Collection: Deutsches Museum Munich

Occupations:
scientist: ~1650 (Hamburg)

Sources:
Catalogus van een kabinet meetkundige, werktuigkundige [...] en andere instrumenten, nagelaaten door J. Maritz [...], benevens een zeer schoon kabinet van hoorns en doublet-schulpen [...], nagelaaten door wijlen Jan David Pasteur, 't welk alles [...] zal verkogt worden 26 february ('s Hage 1808).