Heinrich Konen

Heinrich Matthias Konen (16 September 1874 – 31 December 1948) was a German physicist who specialized in spectroscopy. He was a founder and organizer of the Emergency Association of German Science, and he was a member of the "Senate" of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, the Reich Physical and Technical Institute, and the Reich Chemical and Technical Institute. When he was forced out of academia in 1933 due to his opposition to National Socialism, he became an advisor in the industrial sector, especially the Troisdorf Works. After World War II, Konen became rector of University of Bonn and then headed the Culture Ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Early life and education

Heinrich Konen was born 16 September 1874 in Cologne, Germany. From 1893 to 1898, Konen studied at the University of Bonn. He was awarded his doctorate there in 1897.

Career

From 1899, Konen was a teaching assistant at University of Bonn. From 1902, he was a Privatdozent there, as well as a part-time teacher at the Bonn Gymnasium (secondary school).

After 1945, Konen became rector of University of Bonn and then headed the Culture Ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia. In 1949, after formation of the Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Konen used his position in the Culture Ministry to re-found the Notgemeinschaft der Deutschen Wissenschaft, which had become inactive in 1945. He died 31 December 1948 in Bad Godesberg, Germany.

Books by Konen Heinrich Konen Einführung in die theoretische Optik (Teubner, 1907) Heinrich Konen Reisebilder von einer Studienreise durch Sternwarten und Laboratorien der Vereinigten Staaten (Bachem, 1912) Heinrich Konen Das leuchten der gase und dampfe mit besonderer berucksichtigung der gesetzmassigkeiten in Spektren (Friedr. Vieweg & Sohn, 1913) Heinrich Mathias Konen Das Leuchten der Gase und Dämpfe (F. Vieweg & Sohn, 1913) Heinrich Konen, editor Geometrische Optik. Optische Konstante. Optische Instrumente, Handbuch der Physik - Geiger/Scheel - Volume 18 (Springer, 1927) H. Kayser and H. Konen Handbuch der Spectroscopie - Eight Volumes (Hirzel, 1930) Heinrich Konen Physikalische Plaudereien, Gegenwartsprobleme und ihre technische Bedeutung (Verlag der Buchgemeinde, 1937 & 1941)