Fresenius, Theodor Wilhelm

Chemist

Born: 01.07.1856 in Wiesbaden

died: 02.04.1936 in Wiesbaden

Fresenius, the second son of the chemist Carl Remigius Fresenius, attended the Königliche Realgymnasium am Luisenplatz, from which he graduated in 1874. He began studying chemistry at his father's laboratory in Wiesbaden and then continued his studies at the Kaiser Wilhelm University in Strasbourg, where he obtained his doctorate in 1878. In Strasbourg, he did his military service as a one-year volunteer with Foot Artillery Regiment No. 10.

Back in Wiesbaden, he lectured in physics at his father's Fresenius Chemical Institute, worked practically in the testing laboratory and was a permanent reporter for the Zeitschrift für Analytische Chemie. As early as 1884, he took over the management of the laboratory's food chemistry department. In addition to his teaching and administrative activities, Fresenius devoted himself to scientific work, e.g. improving the sensitivity of arsenic detection in mineral waters and the detection of adulteration in Portland cement.

After the death of his father in 1897, he took over the management of the laboratory together with his eldest brother Remigius Heinrich Fresenius and his brother-in-law Ernst Hintz, a position he held with his brother until shortly before his death after his brother-in-law left in 1912.

He conducted research in many areas of chemistry, both in food testing and analytical chemistry and in the field of technical applications. Outstanding cornerstones of his publishing activities were the publication of the 17th revised edition of the Anleitung zur qualitativen chemischen Analyse and the co-editing of the Zeitschrift für Analytische Chemie.

During the First World War, Fresenius volunteered for military service as a reserve officer. Fresenius held a leading position in the Protestant Church for decades, and was particularly committed to the rebuilding of the regional church after the First World War. He was made an honorary member of the Nassau Association for Natural History in 1929 for his work as a speaker, author of many articles on various scientific fields and as a member of the board. He was also an honorary member of the Association of German Food Chemists and was awarded the Josef König Plaque.