Johann Joseph

Ritter Ritter (German for "knight") is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second-lowest rank within the nobility, standing above " Edler" and below "Freiherr" ( Baron). As with most titles ...

von Prechtl (16 November 1778, Bischofsheim, Grand-Dukal Würzburg (today's)

Lower Franconia Lower Franconia (german: Unterfranken) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia. History After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria the state was total ...

28 October 1854, Wieden No. 54 (today's Paniglgasse, 4th district of

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

)) was a German-born Austrian (since 1802) technologist and educator. He is regarded as a pioneer of technical education in Austria. From 1796 he studied philosophy,

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

and

legal science Legal science is one of the main components in civil law tradition (after Roman law, canon law, commercial law, and the legacy of the revolutionary period). Legal science is primarily the creation of German legal scholars of the middle and late ...

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the '' Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzbur ...

, later working as a private instructor outside of Brünn, and afterwards as a teacher of natural sciences, chemistry and

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which rel ...

at a secondary school in

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(181014). In 1815 he became founder and first director of the Vienna Polytechnic Institute. With

Johann Arzberger Johann Arzberger (10 April 1778, Arzberg, , Bayreuth Princedom/(today's) Upper Franconia 28 December 1835, Vienna) was an Austrian technologist. He worked as a manager of equipment of the ''Fürstlich Salm'sche Eisenwerke'' ("Princely Salm's Iro ...

(17781835), he conducted research of public gas illumination, being credited with introducing a

coal gas Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made from coal and supplied to the user via a piped distribution system. It is produced when coal is heated strongly in the absence of air. Town gas is a more general term referring to manufactured gaseous ...

generating plant at the institute. Reportedly, in 1818, there were 25 operational public gas lanterns in Vienna. In 1823 he developed a portable baroscope.

Written works

With Karl Karmarsch (180379), he was editor of a multi-volume

encyclopedia An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles ...

of technology, ''Technologische Encyklopädie oder alphabetisches Handbuch der Technologie, der technischen Chemie und des Maschinenwesens'' (Technological encyclopedia or an alphabetic textbook of technology,

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials in ...

and

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, ...

). Begun in 1830, the encyclopedia consisted of twenty volumes, with five supplementary volumes being issued by Karmarsch after Prechtl's death (from 1857 to 1869). Other noteworthy written efforts by Prechtl include: * ''Ueber die Fehler in der Erziehung, vorzüglich in Hinsicht auf die gesellschaftlichen Uebel'', 1804 – On errors in education in terms of social ills. * ''Anleitung zur zweckmäßigsten Einrichtung der Apparate zur Beleuchtung mit Steinkohlen-Gas'' 1817 – Guide to the most appropriate device for lighting appliances with coal gas. * ''Praktische Dioptrik als vollständige und gemeinfassliche Anleitung zur Verfertigung achromatischer Fernröhre : nach den neuesten Verbesserungen und Hülfsmitteln und eigenen Erfahrungen''. 1828 – Practical dioptrics as complete and comprehensible instructions for construction of achromatic telescopes.

Commemoration

. Since 1886, the ''Prechtlgasse'' in the Alsergrund district of Vienna has been named in his honor.Statement based on a translation of an equivalent article at the

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References

Biography
@ Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie {{DEFAULTSORT:Prechtl, Johann Joseph von 1778 births 1854 deaths 19th-century Austrian engineers Austrian scientists Austrian mechanical engineers Austrian educators Engineering academics Academics of TU Wien Rectors of universities in Austria University of Würzburg alumni Austrian knights German emigrants to the Austrian Empire People from Rhön-Grabfeld People from Wieden