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Peter Rieß

1805 – 1883

German physicist

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About Peter Rieß

Lived 1805 – 1883 (aged 78). Peter Rieß was a German physicist.

Peter Theophil Riess (27 June 1804 – 22 October 1883) was a German physicist, known mostly for his work in electricity, particularly friction electricity, but also in the field of electromagnetic induction. In the latter work he developed two devices, the spark micrometer (sometimes called the Riess micrometer) and the Riess spiral coils, both of which were used by Heinrich Hertz in his experiments to prove the propagation of electromagnetic waves.

Riess was the son of a wealthy jeweller in Berlin. He received his doctorate in 1831 from the University of Berlin. In the early years after graduation he stayed with his father who was ill and helped run the business. Even after his father died, he never sought an academic teaching position. However he was a fellow (Mitglied) of the Berlin Academy, the first Jewish member of that academy, and under its auspices, and within its journal, Riess published prolifically. He also published several books, as well as many articles in the Annalen der Physik.

Riess was a friend of most of the leading members of the Berlin intelligentsia of the period, and had interests in history, literature, art and music. He died in Berlin at age 79.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Evangelisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster, University of Berlin
Awards
Honorary member of the Physics Association (Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
Also known as
Peter Theophil Riess

People in Peter Rieß's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Peter Rieß's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Peter Rieß?

German physicist (1805–1883)

When was Peter Rieß born?

Peter Rieß was born on 27 June 1805 in Berlin.

When did Peter Rieß die?

Peter Rieß died on 23 October 1883 in Berlin.

What was Peter Rieß's occupation?

Peter Rieß was a physicist.

What nationality was Peter Rieß?

Peter Rieß was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Peter Rieß

· Wikidata: Q92503

· DBpedia: Peter Theophil Riess

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter Rieß. https://biography.guide/peter-riess/

MLA: "Peter Rieß." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-riess/.

Chicago: "Peter Rieß." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-riess/.

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