Die Physikalische Sammlung (Physical Collection)

TL;DR

The paper details the history and development of the Die Physikalische Sammlung, a collection of scientific instruments used for teaching and research from the 17th century to the 20th century.

Contribution

It provides a historical overview of the collection's growth, its role in scientific education, and its significance as a witness to the evolution of scientific instruments.

Findings

Collection demonstrates historical development of physics instruments

Used for teaching mechanics, hydrostatics, optics, electrostatics

Includes instruments for geodesy and astronomy

Abstract

At the end of the 17th century, the collection was established through the acquisition of Leiden instrumentmaker Musschenbroek's collection. Its aim was to demonstrate physical phenomena. Until the end of the 18th century, the collection was used and extended by a number of professors from various university departments in teaching mechanics, hydrostatics, optics and electrostatics. The foundation of the Institute for Mathematics and Physics in 1817 and the appointment of Christian Ludwig Gerling to the position of Professor for Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy strengthened the subject considerably. Gerling extended the collection mainly with devices for geodesy and astronomy, with more instruments being added in the time up to the middle of the 20th century. Today, the collection allows an insight into the history of scientific instruments as witnesses of the past.