Wilhelm Biltz

Infobox_Scientist
name = Wilhelm Biltz


image_width = 200px
caption = Wilhelm Biltz
birth_date = March 8 1877
birth_place = Berlin, Germany
residence = Germany,
nationality = German
death_date = November 13 1943]
death_place = Heidelberg, Germany
field =
work_institution = University of Göttingen,
Clausthal University of Technology,
University of Hanover,
alma_mater = University of Greifswald
doctoral_advisor = Friedrich Wilhelm Semmler,
doctoral_students = Werner Fischer,
known_for = Colloid-Chemistry
Thermal analysis of non-metallic systems
religion = Protestant

Wilhelm Biltz (born March 8 1877 in Berlin, died November 13 1943 in Heidelberg) was a German chemist and scientific editor. Wilhelm Biltz was the son of Karl Friedrich Biltz who was a scientist of literature and theatre critic. He remained single and childless.

Life and career

After his university entrance diploma at the Royal Grammar School (Königliches Wilhelm-Gymnasium) in Berlin in 1895 and influenced by his elder brother Heinrich Biltz he began studying chemistry in the Humboldt University of Berlin, the University of Heidelberg and continued his studies in 1898 with professor Friedrich Wilhelm Semmler in the University of Greifswald where he awarded his doctor in natural science with researches on the chemistry of Terpenes.

Since 1900 he worked as an assistant and since 1903 as an associate professor with Otto Wallach at the University of Göttingen. There he concentrated his work firstly on the determination of vapour density in solutions of inorganic compounds and later he was engaged in researches into the chemistry of colloids. [Parachor und Nullpunktvolumen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Berlin, 1935, [http://d-nb.info/365594431] ] . He gained further scientific and practical experiences in the university research institute of Clemens Winkler in analytical and inorganic chemistry and later in Metallurgy in Göttingen with Gustav Tamman. During these years he also investigated the influence of temperature on the properties of non-metallic systems as for example Polysulfides of Rubidium and Caesium by the use of thermal analysis. [Raumchemie der festen Stoffe, Voss, Leipzig, 1934, [http://d-nb.info/572286309] ] .

Already in the age of 28 years on March 15, 1905 he succeeded on being promoted to professor at the Clausthal University of Technology where he lectured until 1921. His work was interrupted when he participated as 2nd Lt in World War I from the beginning to the end and he was honoured with the Iron Cross first class. He commanded the German A7V tank that took part in first ever tank-versus-tank battle, during the Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux in 1918.

One of the next important steps in the further period of his life was his appointment as professor and director of the inorganic-chemical institute of the Technical University of Hanover on March 22, 1921. Here he had his the most successful years and he supported young talents as for example Wilhelm Klemm or Werner Fischer.

During his activities as a long-time member of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences, as member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina of Halle and as constant member of the board of the German Bunsen Society he applied his energies for the further development of sciences and research.

In addition to the above memberships he acquired renown as an author of textbooks and some of them he wrote together with his brother Heinrich Biltz. Furthermore he was an academic author of the ‘journal for inorganic and general chemistry’ for many years until his early retirement due to impairment to health.

Publications and books (options)

* Wilhelm Biltz and Heinrich Biltz;: "’’Übungsbeispiele aus der unorganischen Experimentalchemie’’". 1. Aufl. 1907; 3.und 4. Aufl. 1920, Engelmann, Leipzig
* Wilhelm Biltz: "’’Ausführung qualitativer Analysen’’". 4. Aufl. 1930, Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft, Leipzig
* Wilhelm Biltz: "’’Raumchemie der festen Stoffe’’". L. Voss, Leipzig, 1934. Bd. X, 338 S.
* Wilhelm Biltz works in Wiley Interscience: [ Works in Wiley Interscience: [http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/search/allsearch?mode=similararticles&DID=112317357&page=1] ]
* Willhelm Biltz works in Library of Congress:, [ [http://lccn.loc.gov/55057149 Library of Congress LCCN Permalink for 55057149 ] at lccn.loc.gov] , [ [http://lccn.loc.gov/48027290 Library of Congress LCCN Permalink for 48027290 ] at lccn.loc.gov] , [ [http://lccn.loc.gov/50055445 Library of Congress LCCN Permalink for 50055445 ] at lccn.loc.gov] , [ [http://lccn.loc.gov/40000383 Library of Congress LCCN Permalink for 40000383 ] at lccn.loc.gov] , [ [http://lccn.loc.gov/34041243 Library of Congress LCCN Permalink for 34041243 ] at lccn.loc.gov] , [ [http://lccn.loc.gov/52030553 Library of Congress LCCN Permalink for 52030553 ] at lccn.loc.gov] , [ [http://lccn.loc.gov/09016564 Library of Congress LCCN Permalink for 09016564 ] at lccn.loc.gov] . [ [http://lccn.loc.gov/28020360 Library of Congress LCCN Permalink for 28020360 ] at lccn.loc.gov]
* Wilhelm Biltz works in the catalogue of the German National Library: [ [http://z3950gw.d-nb.de/ Deutsche Nationalbibliothek - Z39.50 Gateway ] at z3950gw.d-nb.de] [https://portal.d-nb.de/opac.htm?query=biltz%2C+wilhelm&method=simpleSearch]

Certificate of honours

* 22. Juni 1927 honorary doctor of the University of Stuttgart
* 3. Oktober 1929 honorary professor of the University of Göttingen
* 7. Mai 1932 honorary doctor of the Czech Technical University in Prague
* 1934 honorary citizen of Heidelberg

References

* Archive documents Hans-Thorald Michaelis (Nephew)
* Hans-Thorald Michaelis: "’’Die Gebrüder Heinrich und Wilhelm Biltz und ihre Vorfahren’’" (’’The brothers Heinrich and Wilhelm Biltz and their ancestors’’); Mitteldeutsche Familienkunde Band VI, Jg. 21, Heft 3, S. 231-303, 1980
* Nachruf R. Juza, in: ’’Zeitschrift für Elektrochemie und angewandte physikalische Chemie’’, Band 50, Nr. 1, S. 1-2, 1944
* Nachruf G. F. Hüttig, in: ’’Kolloid-Zeitschrift’’, Sonderdruck, Band 106, Heft 3, Theodor-Steinkopf-Verlag, Dresden und Leipzig, 1944