Heinrich Emanuel Merck

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Heinrich Emanuel Merck (15 September 1794 – 14 February 1855) was an apothecary whose descendants are the founders of Merck and Company and Merck KGaA.

He was a direct descendant of company founder Friedrich Jacob Merck, who had purchased the Engel-Apotheke (Angel Pharmacy) in Darmstadt in 1668. The pharmacy is still part of Merck KGaA.

Merck studied in Berlin and Vienna studying pharmacy. He then worked at his father's Engel-Apotheke. In 1816 he took over management. In addition to this he was occupied with research on the chemical constitution of herbal natural material.

He isolated alkaloids and prepared them in a pure state. In 1827, Merck sold all the known alkaloids to other pharmacists, chemists and physicians. From 1838 until 1841 he ran a candle factory and became a member of the town council of Darmstadt in 1828. As a court consultant he was working on the homicide case of the Mistress of Görlitz in 1850. At the time of Merck's death, ca. 23—50 workers were employed at his chemical-pharmaceutical factory. His three sons took over his business.