Georg Bredig

Georg Bredig (October 1, 1868 – April 24, 1944) was a German physical chemist. Bredig was a faculty member at the University of Leipzig (1895-1901) and professor of chemistry at Heidelberg (1901–1910); Technische Hochschule, Zurich (1910); and Technische Hochschule, Karlsruhe (1911–1933).

Bredig did fundamental research in catalysis, preparing aqueous colloidal dispersions of metals and comparing the catalytic properties of metal colloids to the action of enzymes (or "ferments"). He made significant contributions in reaction kinetics and electrochemistry. He was born on October 1, 1868, in Glogau, Niederschlesien, Silesia Province. The family was of Jewish descent, but Bredig identified himself as a Protestant. Like Fritz Haber, another German chemist of Jewish descent, Will was instrumental in introducing Bredig to the work of Wilhelm Ostwald of the University of Leipzig, and the new field of physical chemistry.

Bredig spent the next year and a half doing postdoctoral work at the laboratories of J. H. van't Hoff in Amsterdam, M. Berthelot in Paris and S. Arrhenius in Stockholm. In autumn 1895, he returned to the University of Leipzig as an assistant to Wilhelm Ostwald. He expanded upon this work by studying and comparing the activity of metal colloids and that of inorganic ferments (his name for biological enzymes).

Bredig habilitated in Leipzig in 1901, publishing the dissertation Anorganische Fermente (Inorganic ferments). He was granted his teaching licence (venia legendi) after speaking on the topic "Über die Chemie der extremen Temperaturen" ("On the chemistry of extreme temperatures"). Marianne Bredig married Dr. Viktor Homburger. One of his achievements at Heidelberg was the first catalytic synthesis of asymmetric carbon compounds, selectively synthesizing specific stereoisomer molecules. In addition to catalysis, his primary areas of research were reaction kinetics and electrochemistry. In addition to his work on organic and inorganic catalysts, he and his students contributed to the areas of kinetics of adiabatic reactions, amphoteric electrolytes and ampholytic ions, and the catalytic decomposition kinetics of ethyl diazoacetate. James William McBain, and Andreas von Antropoff.

In 1910 Bredig was appointed as full professor at Technische Hochschule, Zurich.

Technische Hochschule, Karlsruhe In 1911, Bredig was appointed as professor for physical chemistry at the Technische Hochschule, Karlsruhe.

World War I and its aftermath were extremely disruptive to work in Bredig's institute at Karlsruhe. Most of the students had to leave.

On December 9, 1922, Bredig became Rector (headmaster) at Karlsruhe. In his inaugural speech, Denkmethoden der Chemie (Thinking Methods of Chemistry), Bredig was open about his political beliefs, which could be described as liberal-democratic, supporting pacifism and internationalism. This caught the negative attention of the National Socialists.

Bredig had to undergo surgery twice in 1924 and 1929/30 but he recovered quickly and was able to return to his work. On January 30, 1933 Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist (Nazi) party assumed power, and began to use a variety of laws to enforce their agenda. As early as April 7, 1933, the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service banned Jews and other persons who the Nazis considered unfit to hold office from the German Civil Service and German universities. This created large numbers of vacancies: an estimated 26% of chemists and biochemists were driven from posts at German and Austrian universities.

Required with other professors at German universities to take an oath of allegiance pledging his loyalty to Adolf Hitler, Bredig refused. In addition Bredig suffered the loss of his wife, who died in 1933. Regardless, he remained in Karlsruhe. Georg Bredig and his son-in-law Dr. Viktor Homburger were among the 500 Jews arrested. They were released after showing proof of their intention to emigrate.

Works

(Autobiography).

Awards 1899 prize, Deutsche Elektrochemische Gesellschaft (German Electrochemical Society) 1914 prize, Solvay Institute in Brüssels, for his work on catalysis 1929 Honorary doctor of University Rostock 1930 Honorary doctor of TH Zurich

Literature