Paul Walden (1863–1957)One Man’s Love to a Chemistry

Dr. Birutė Railienė Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences

“EcoBalt 2013” 25-27 October 2013, Vilnius .

Paul Walden (1863–1957) was a prominent chemist and historian of science, by origin – a Latvian and Russian, later he became a German citizen.

Riga Polytechnical School .Here Paul Walden studied and worked untill 1900.

P. Walden and Wilhelm Ostwald, as colleagues and co-authors. Riga, 1887.

PhD thesis: “Materials to Study Optical Isometrics” St. Petersburg, 1898

Paul Walden. 1890

P. Walden and colleagues with Karl Adam Bishop (in the centre). 1890.

P. Valdens and colleagues at the Riga Polytechnical Institute. 1899.

Atmosphere for work and life

Paul Walden. 1933.

Paul Walden. Last years.

HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY

• First attempts to write a common history of chemistry in Russia was suggested by Russian chemist N. A. Bunge in 1893, but the address was not heard by chemical community. In 1911, during the meeting of all Russia chemists (Medeleevs meeting), P. Walden gave a very enthusiastic and earnest speech: „On Development of Chemistry in Russia“.

Lections on the Development of Chemistry (...) by A. Ladenburg ; Essay on History of Chemistry in Russia by Paul Walden. Odessa, 1917

• The evident highlight of the paper was a scientometrical approach to the vast bibliographical information of history of chemistry. Country input to the development of chemistry was based on analysis of 6 historical works on chemistry, including his own. In the survey names of 113 Russian chemists were selected from the sources, and the percentage was calculated:

Historical works on chemistry Names of Russian chemists

Names of chemical elements

Russian contribution to chemistry %

Menshutkin N. A. Essay on chemical views (1888) in Russian

31 249 12,5

Meyer E. Geschichte der Chemie (1907) D

30 1047 2,9

Ladenburg A. Vorträge über dien Entwickelungsgesichichte der Chemie (1907) D

20 616 3,3

Darmstädter L. Handbuch zur geschichte der naturwissenschaften und der Technik (1908) D

55 - -

Hilditch T. P. A Concise history of Chemistry (1911) UK

36 941 3,8

Walden P. Die Lösungstheorien in ihrer geschichtlichen Aufeinanderfolgen (1910) R

31 425 7,3

The final address in his paper was to the new generation. P. Walden earnestly encouraged young chemists to take over the creative legacy from the founders and the great ones in chemistry. He emphasized the imperative to learn the history of science – which gives a key to future.

HERITAGE

Science and Life : selected talks by Paul Walden. Petrograd, 1922.

Every three years, starting in 1988, a Paul Walden medal has been awarded in Chemistry and Science History (both beloved Walden’s scientific disciplines) by the Riga Technical University. In 1997 Prof. Edwin Vedejs (Michigan State University, USA) was awarded this medal, which was a starting point for traditional Paul Walden Symposiums.

http://cen.acs.org/articles/91/i29/Latvia-Celebrates-Paul-Walden.html

Thank you. Enjoy your stay in Vilnius