Haldor Frederik Axel Topsøe (29 April 1842 in

Skælskør Skælskør () is a town in Zealand (Denmark), Zealand, Denmark. It is located in Slagelse Municipality. Until 2007 Skælskør was the seat of Skælskør Municipality. The town is located 17 km southwest of Slagelse and 12 km southeast o ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

– 31 December 1935 in

Frederiksberg Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the region of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of less tha ...

, Denmark) was a Danish

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

and crystallographer. He is grandfather of the engineer

Haldor Topsøe (1913–2013) Haldor Frederik Axel Topsøe (24 May 1913 – 20 May 2013) was a Danes, Danish engineer and founder and chairman of the catalysis company ''Haldor Topsøe (company), Haldor Topsøe''. He was grandson of the chemist and crystallographer Haldor Top ...

who has got his name from his grandfather, and great-grandfather of the mathematician

Flemming Topsøe Flemming Topsøe (born 25 August 1938) is a Danish mathematician, and is emeritus in the mathematics department of the University of Copenhagen. He is the author of several mathematical science works, among them works about analysis, probabilit ...

(born 25 August 1938) and the engineer Henrik Topsøe (born 10 August 1944). Topsøe took Magisterkonferens in chemistry in 1866 and

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

for a chemical-crystallographical work of

selenium Selenium is a chemical element; it has symbol (chemistry), symbol Se and atomic number 34. It has various physical appearances, including a brick-red powder, a vitreous black solid, and a grey metallic-looking form. It seldom occurs in this elem ...

-sour salts. He worked as assistant at the

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history scientific collection, collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleo ...

1863–1867 and at the chemistry laboratory of

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University. ...

1867–1873. In 1872, he received a gold medal of

Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters ({{Langx, da, Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab or ''Videnskabernes Selskab'') is a Danish academy of science. The Royal Danish Academy was established on 13 November 1742, and was create ...

, of which he was member from 1877, for a great crystallographical-optical work together with the physicist Christian Christiansen (1843–1917). He worked as chemistry teacher at the Royal Danish Military Academy 1876–1902 where he founded a new laboratory where he continued his science works. In 1884 he participated in the oceanographic expedition to west Greenland on the

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

HDMS ''Fylla''. He was member of the

Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (, DNVA) is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway. Its purpose is to support the advancement of science and scholarship in Norway. History The Royal Frederick University in Christiania was establis ...

from 1892. Topsøe became commander of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

in 1880.

References

External links

*http://2dgf.dk/xpdf/bull-1936-9-1-91-93.pdf

{{DEFAULTSORT:Topsoe, Haldor 1842 births 1935 deaths Danish chemists Danish mineralogists 20th-century Danish geologists 19th-century Danish geologists People from Slagelse Municipality Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters Members of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog