Albert Ladenburg

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Albert Ladenburg (* July 2, 1842 in Mannheim; † August 15, 1911 in Breslau, Silesia, today Poland) was a German Chemist.

Ladenburg, member of a well known Jewish family in Mannheim, studied Mathematics and modern languages in Karlsruhe, then Chemistry and Physics in Heidelberg with Robert Bunsen and finally physics in Berlin. He got his PhD with Dr. phil. in Heidelberg.

In Ghent, Ladenburg worked for 6 months with Kekulé who introduced him to structural theory. he went on to work for 18 months in Paris with Charles Friedel on organo silicon compounds and Tin compounds.

Ladenburg worked with Kekulé on the structure of Benzene. His theory that benzene was a prismatic molecule turned out to be wrong. His proposed structure was eventually realised in 1973 in the molecule prismane.

In 1900 Ladenburg founded the Chemische Gesellschaft Breslau, which he managed until 1910.

[edit] Literature

• Dr. Leopold Ladenburg (his father): "Stammtafel der Familie Ladenburg", Verlag J. Ph. Walther, Mannheim 1882.