Josef Houben

Life Houben studied at the University of Bonn and changed his subjects from mathematics and astronomy to chemistry under the influence of August Kekulé. He received his Ph.D. for work with Julius Bredt in 1898, and they collaborated on the initial 1902 publication of what became known as Bredt's Rule. After some time at the University of Aachen and University of Bonn Houben joined the laboratory of Emil Fischer at the University of Berlin. After his habilitation in 1908 he stayed in Berlin until the beginning of World War I. Houben served in the army and after being wounded several times he became head of the war laboratory. After the war Houben became professor at the Biologische Reichsanstalt in Berlin Dahlem in 1921, a position he held until his forced retirement in 1933. Houben died in Tübingen in 1940.

Work During his time with Emil Fischer his research was focused on the Organomagnesium compounds, while in his time at the Biologischen Reichsanstalt Houben was improving the already known Hoesch reaction.