Heinrich Rose

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Heinrich Rose (1795–1864) was a German mineralogist and analytic chemist. He was the brother of the mineralogist Gustav Rose (1798–1873) and a son of Valentin Rose (1762-1807).

He was professor at the University of Berlin from 1823. During 1846 he rediscovered the chemical element niobium, proving conclusively that it was different than tantalium. This confirmed that Charles Hatchett had discovered the element in 1801 in columbite ore which he named previously "columbium" (from the ore in which Niobium and Tantalium coexist). The element was eventually assigned the name Niobium by IUPAC during 1950 after Niobe, the daughter of Tantalus in Greek mythology.