Karl Scheel

Karl Friedrich Franz Christian Scheel (10 March 1866 in Rostock – 8 November 1936 in Berlin) was a German physicist. He was a Senior Executive Officer and head of Department IIIb at the Reich Physical and Technical Institute. Additionally, he served as editor of the journal ', the semi-monthly bibliographic section of the journal ''Physikalische Berichte'', the ''Verhandlungen'' of the German Physical Society, and the Society’s journal ''Zeitschrift für Physik''. From 1926 to 1935, he was editor of the ''Handbuch der Physik''. An endowment by Scheel and his wife Melida funds the annual awarding of the Karl Scheel Prize by the Physical Society in Berlin.

Education

From 1885 to 1890, Scheel studied at the ''Universität Rostock'' and the ''Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität'' (today, the ''Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin''). He received his doctorate in 1890, at the University of Berlin, with a thesis on the expansion of water with temperature. Scheel was authorized to use the title ''Professor'', hence, at some point, he completed the requirements for Habilitation.

Career

After receipt of his doctorate, Scheel became a part-time assistant at the ''Kaiserliche Normal-Aichungs-Commission'' (Imperial Bureau of Standards). From 1891, he was employed at the ''Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt'' (PTR, Reich Physical and Technical Institute, after 1945 renamed the '' Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt''). From 1904 to 1931, he was a ''Mitglied'' (member) and finally ''Geheimer Regierungsrat und Leiter'' (Senior Executive Officer and head) of Depeartment IIIb at the PTR.

Additionally, Scheel served as editor of various publications. From 1899 to 1918, he was editor of the journal ''Fortschritte der Physik'' and of the semi-monthly bibliographic section of the journal ''Physikalische Berichte''. From 1902, he was the editor of the ''Verhandlungen'' (Proceedings) of the ''Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft'' (DPG, German Physical Society), and from 1920 editor of the Society’s journal ''Zeitschrift für Physik''. From 1926 to 1935, he was editor of the prestigious, multi-volume series ''Handbuch der Physik'', together with Hans Geiger.

Honor

Scheel and his wife Melida left an endowment which is used by the ''Physikalische Gesellschaft zu Berlin'' (PGzB, Physical Society in Berlin), a regional association of the ''Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft'' (German Physical Society), to yearly award the ''Karl-Scheel-Preis'' (Karl Scheel Prize), for outstanding scientific work.Karl-Scheel-Preis der Physikalischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin
– Karl Scheel Prize

Literature by Scheel

*Karl Scheel ''Die Physikalisch Technische Reichsanstalt in Charlottenburg'', ''Akademische Rundschau'' (January, 1913), as cited in E. S. Hodgson ''Twenty-Five Years' Work at the Physikalisch - Technische Reichsanstalt, Charlottenburg'', ''Nature'' Volume 91, Issue 2287, 665-667


*Karl Scheel ''Die Physik auf der 85. Versammlung Deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte in Wien, September 1913'', ''Die Naturwissenschaften'' Volume 1, 1175–1179 (28 November 1913) and 1205–1208 (5 December 1913)
*Scheel, Holborn, Jaeger, and Brodhun ''Die Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt; Fünfundzwanzig Jahre ihrer Tätigkeit'', ''Die Naturwissenschafien'' Numbers 8, 10, 12, and 14 (1913), as cited in E. S. Hodgson ''Twenty-Five Years' Work at the Physikalisch - Technische Reichsanstalt, Charlottenburg'', ''Nature'' Volume 91, 665-667, Issue 2287
28 August 1913

*Karl Scheel (Geh. Reg.-Rat. Prof. Dr.) ''Die Tätigkeit der Physikalisch-Technischen Reichsanstalt im Jahre 1916: Abteilung III für Wärme und Druck'', ''Die Naturwissenschaften'' Volume 5, Number 47, 704 – 705
November, 1917
. Affiliation: ''Mitglied der Physikalisch-Technischen Reichsanstalt, Berlin-Dahlem''.
*Karl Scheel ''Die Tätigkeit der Physikalisch - Technischen Reichsanstalt im Jahre 1918'', ''Die Naturwissenschaften'' Volume 7, Number 52, 997 – 1002
December, 1919
. Affiliation: ''Mitglied der Physikalisch-Technischen Reichsanstalt, Berlin-Dahlem''.

Bibliography

*H. Ebert ''Karl Scheel'', ''Zeitschrift für Physik'' Volume 104, Numbers 1-2, I – III (January, 1937). Affiliation: Berlin-Wilmersdorf.
*Hentschel, Klaus (Editor) and Ann M. Hentschel (Editorial Assistant and Translator) ''Physics and National Socialism: An Anthology of Primary Sources'' (Birkhäuser, 1996)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scheel, Karl
1866 births
1936 deaths
20th-century German physicists
19th-century German physicists