Wilhelm von Freeden
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Ihno Adolf von Freeden (12 May 1822 Norden, Lower Saxony
– 11 January 1894 Bonn
) was a German
mathematician
and expert on navigation
. He was the founder of the North German Naval Observatory.
and Göttingen. He was director of the school of navigation at Elsfleth
, Oldenburg
, and later settled in Hamburg
.
. The purpose of the observatory was to promote and to facilitate maritime intercourse. It was composed of a department of maritime meteorology
; a bureau of nautical, meteorological, and magnetic instruments; a department of coast meteorology and signal service; and a bureau for testing chronometers. In 1945, the tasks of the German Naval Observatory were turned over to the German Hydrographic Institute (Deutsche Hydrographische Institut), and in 1990 that agency in turn became part of the present day Federal Department of Shipping and Hydrography (Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie).
from 1871 to 1876. He founded, with H. Tecklenborg-Bremen, a publication entitled Hansa, Zeitschrift für Seewesen, which he edited until 1891.
Norden, Lower Saxony
Norden is a town in the district of Aurich, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the North Sea shore, in East Frisia.-External links:* *...
– 11 January 1894 Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and expert on navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
. He was the founder of the North German Naval Observatory.
Biography
He was educated at the universities of BonnUniversity of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
and Göttingen. He was director of the school of navigation at Elsfleth
Elsfleth
Elsfleth is a town in the district of Wesermarsch, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the Hunte with the Weser, on the left bank of the Weser, on the railway Hude-Nordenham. It has an Evangelical church, a school of navigation , a harbour and docks.Elsfleth offers many...
, Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
, and later settled in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
North German Naval Observatory
In Hamburg, in 1867, he founded the private North German Naval Observatory (Norddeutsche Seewarte), which he directed until 1875 when it became the German Naval Observatory (Deutsche Seewarte), an agency of the German EmpireGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. The purpose of the observatory was to promote and to facilitate maritime intercourse. It was composed of a department of maritime meteorology
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
; a bureau of nautical, meteorological, and magnetic instruments; a department of coast meteorology and signal service; and a bureau for testing chronometers. In 1945, the tasks of the German Naval Observatory were turned over to the German Hydrographic Institute (Deutsche Hydrographische Institut), and in 1990 that agency in turn became part of the present day Federal Department of Shipping and Hydrography (Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie).
Other activities
Freeden was a member of the ReichstagReichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
from 1871 to 1876. He founded, with H. Tecklenborg-Bremen, a publication entitled Hansa, Zeitschrift für Seewesen, which he edited until 1891.