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Christian Dopplerr

1803 – 1853

Austrian mathematician and physicist

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About Christian Dopplerr

Lived 1803 – 1853 (aged 49). Christian Dopplerr was an Austrian mathematician, physicist, academic, astronomer, pedagogue and professor, known for Doppler effect.

Christian Andreas Doppler (; ; 29 November 1803 – 17 March 1853) However, due to his weak health, Doppler's father encouraged him instead to pursue a career in business. Doppler started elementary education at the age of 13. After completion, he moved on to secondary education at a school in Linz.

In 1835, he decided to immigrate to the United States to pursue a position in academia. Shortly after, in 1837 he was appointed as an associate professor of math and geometry at the Prague Polytechnic Institute (now Czech Technical University in Prague). He received a full professorship position in 1841.

In 1842, at the age of 38, Doppler gave a lecture to the Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences and subsequently published Über das farbige Licht der Doppelsterne und einiger anderer Gestirne des Himmels ("On the coloured light of the binary stars and some other stars of the heavens"). In this work, Doppler postulated his principle (later named the Doppler effect) that the observed frequency of a wave depends on the relative speed of the source and the observer, and he later tried to use this concept to explain the visible colours of binary stars (this hypothesis was later proven wrong). Doppler also incorrectly believed that if a star were to exceed 136,000 kilometers per second in radial velocity, then it would not be visible to the human eye.

Later life Doppler continued working as a professor at the Prague Polytechnic, publishing over 50 articles on mathematics, physics and astronomy, but in 1847 he left Prague for the professorship of mathematics, physics, and mechanics at the Academy of Mines and Forests (its successor is the University of Miskolc ) in Selmecbánya (then Kingdom of Hungary, now Banská Štiavnica Slovakia).

Doppler's research was interrupted by the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. In 1849, he fled to Vienna and in 1850 was appointed head of the Institute for Experimental Physics at the University of Vienna. While there, Doppler, along with Franz Unger, influenced the development of young Gregor Mendel, the founding father of genetics, who was a student at the University of Vienna from 1851 to 1853.

Death Doppler died on 17 March 1853 at age 49 from a pulmonary disease in Venice (at that time part of the Austrian Empire). His tomb is in the San Michele cemetery on the Venetian island of San Michele.

Full name Some confusion exists about Doppler's full name. Doppler referred to himself as Christian Doppler. The records of his birth and baptism stated Christianus Andreas Dopler. Doppler's middle name is shared by his great-great-grandfather Andreas Doppler. Forty years after Doppler's death the misnomer Johann Christian Doppler was introduced by the astronomer Julius Scheiner. Scheiner's mistake has since been copied by many.

Works Christian Doppler (1803–1853). Wien: Böhlau, 1992. Bd. 1: 1. Teil: Helmuth Grössing (unter Mitarbeit von B. Reischl): Wissenschaft, Leben, Umwelt, Gesellschaft; 2. Teil: Karl Kadletz (unter Mitarbeit von Peter Schuster und Ildikó Cazan-Simányi) Quellenanhang. Bd. 2: 3. Teil: Peter Schuster: Das Werk.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Known for
Doppler effect
Education
TU Wien, Czech Technical University in Prague, University of Vienna, University of Salzburg
Employers
University of Vienna, Charles University, TU Wien, Czech Technical University in Prague
Also known as
Doppler, Christian Andreas Doppler

People in Christian Dopplerr's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Christian Dopplerr's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Christian Dopplerr?

Austrian mathematician and physicist (1803-1853)

When was Christian Dopplerr born?

Christian Dopplerr was born on 29 November 1803 in Salzburg.

When did Christian Dopplerr die?

Christian Dopplerr died on 17 March 1853 in Venice.

What was Christian Dopplerr's occupation?

Christian Dopplerr was a mathematician, physicist, academic, astronomer, pedagogue and professor.

What was Christian Dopplerr known for?

Christian Dopplerr was known for Doppler effect.

What nationality was Christian Dopplerr?

Christian Dopplerr was Austrian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Christian Dopplerr

· Wikidata: Q84284

· DBpedia: Christian Doppler

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Christian Dopplerr. https://biography.guide/christian-dopplerr/

MLA: "Christian Dopplerr." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/christian-dopplerr/.

Chicago: "Christian Dopplerr." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/christian-dopplerr/.

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