Georg Simon Ohm
1833 - 1849
Professor for mathematics und physics at the "Königliche Polytechnische Schule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm" (1789 - 1854).
Georg Simon Ohm was born as son of the university´s locksmith in Erlangen on the 16th of March, 1789. His father must have been an extraordinary person; during his leisure hours he spent much time with philosophy; and even in his late life he was keen on studying mathematics together with his two sons Georg Simon and Martin.
After leaving the gymnasium at the age of 16, Georg Simon attends the university, thereafter goes to Switzerland being a private teacher, returns back home and within due course is being made a doctor after having completed his thesis "About light and colors"
His first book with which he hoped to make a reputation for himself flopped.
When the Prussians set up a new school system in Cologne, Georg Simon Ohm moves to the Rhine taking over the collection of pyhsical instruments of the Jesuits´ college and teaching mathematics and physics. He spends most of his salary on the replacment of run-dowm physical equipment and for the chemistry laboratory experimenting assiduously.
Early in 1821 he reveals a general context between current intensity, voltage and conductor resistance, the ohmic resistance, as it is still being called today: voltage equals current intensity times resistance.
More over-unlike his contemparians-her realizes the universal importance of what he had derived experimentally. He goes on a sabbatical for one year, moves to Berlin where is brother has become professor meanwhile and writes his book: "The Galvanic Chain mathematically revised", which shan´t become famous until years later.
Ohm´s consequent rejection of electricity discourse as to nature and philosophy will not be understood, on the contrary they inveigh against him "pointless playing with mathmatical symbols".After several years Ohm is being made professor for Physics at the "Königlich-bayerischen Polytechnikum" in Nuremberg which he will also head as president from 1839 to 1849.In 1841 the Royal Society in London honors Ohm with the Copley medal which along those days corresponds to the Nobel prize nowaydays. Only one German scientist had received this honor before, Carl Friedrich Gauß.The very year Ohm becomes member of the Academia di Turino and in 1842 foreign member of the Royal Society in London.So this 'queer bird', to be seen taking his "spitz" for a walk out in the Nuremberg city forest, finally becomes the internationally recognized and well-known competent expert.Now, late enogh though, he is being inundated with honors in his country tooThese years of success had spurred him on to work on new scientific questions especially in the field of acoustics. His "Theory of the Ton" explaining the modulation of tons as a result of overriding waves is being rejected and when only 15 years later Herman von Helmholtz descibes his sound analyses, Ohm´s theory is being ascribed to him.The only well-known portrait shows Ohm in his late years in Bavaria´s capital Munich with the decoration cross of the Maximilian´s Prize for Science and Art.In the year 1849 Ohm was assigned to Munich by King Maximilian II. of Bavaria as second curator for mathmatical and physical collectables. In 1852 he was appointed professor for physics and mathmatics heading the physical cabinet of the University of Munich.At the same time Ohm is assigned Ministerialreferent of the telefon administration.In 1850 he is being awarded the freedom of the town by the city of Nuremberg.Two years after his late recognition the 65 years old physicist dies as a result of a stroke. His final resting-place is at the old South Cemetary in Munich. The irony of the story: His tombstone carries the wrong year of birth and the wrong date of his death.At the Technical University of Munich a memorial is being erected in his honor, the German Museum exhibits his instruments and in the year 1933 the State Academy for Applied Sciences in Nuremberg is being renamed "Ohm-Polytechnikum Nürnberg" commemorating its one hundredth anniversary.The University of Applied Sciences Nuremberg is being bestowed the name "Georg-Simon-Ohm-Fachhochschule Nürnberg" by decree law of the Federal State Parliament of Bavaria after the Ohm-Polytechnical School had been incorporated as a field of technical education in 1971.In the year 1983 he is being granted the highest honor by the Electrical World Congress:His name Ohm had become the international unit of electrical resistance, indicated by the capital omega.
You will find some of the works of Georg Simon Ohm in digital version here
