Johann Liebknecht

Astronomer mathematician theologian university professor

April 23, 1679 (age 70)

Wasungen, Germany

He was professor of mathematics and theology at the Ludoviciana (University) in Giessen, Germany. He was awarded Master of Arts (1702), Bachelor's Degree (1717) and Doctor of Divinity (1719) Liebknecht was offered a position, on the recommendation of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, at the small state university in Giessen. He was versatile and could teach several subjects competently. He was both a respected evangelical theologian and a leading mathematician. Other focal points of his work lay in the application of mathematics in the military (artillery, fortresses), geology (mineral deposits), archeology (excavations of grave mounds near Giessen), fossils and astronomy. He was in contact with famous scientists such as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. From 1707 to 1737 he was Professor of Mathematics at Geissen and from 1721 until his death also Professor of Theology. In 1728 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Liebknecht was a keen astronomer. He made some of the rare aurora observations during the period 1711-1721. Foreign another observations, however, he gained no cartulary-register On 2 December 1722, he observed a faint star in the telescope and thought he observed relative motion (proper motion) to the neighbouring stars of the Big Dipper, Mizar and Alcor. He called the supposed new planet Liebknecht was unaware, however, that this star had already been observed in the same position in 1616 by Benedetto Castelli and could not therefore be a planet. He had 21 children from the two marriages.

Johann Liebknecht

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Astronomer mathematician theologian university professor

Background

He was born the son of Michael Liebknecht, schoolmaster, of Wasungen, and his wife, Margarethe Turckin and was educated in the Gymnasium at Schleusingen and at Jena.

Career

He was professor of mathematics and theology at the Ludoviciana (University) in Giessen, Germany. He was awarded Master of Arts (1702), Bachelor's Degree (1717) and Doctor of Divinity (1719)

Liebknecht was offered a position, on the recommendation of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, at the small state university in Giessen. He was versatile and could teach several subjects competently.

He was both a respected evangelical theologian and a leading mathematician.

Other focal points of his work lay in the application of mathematics in the military (artillery, fortresses), geology (mineral deposits), archeology (excavations of grave mounds near Giessen), fossils and astronomy. He was in contact with famous scientists such as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.

From 1707 to 1737 he was Professor of Mathematics at Geissen and from 1721 until his death also Professor of Theology. In 1728 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society

Liebknecht was a keen astronomer.

He made some of the rare aurora observations during the period 1711-1721.

Foreign another observations, however, he gained no cartulary-register On 2 December 1722, he observed a faint star in the telescope and thought he observed relative motion (proper motion) to the neighbouring stars of the Big Dipper, Mizar and Alcor. He called the supposed new planet Liebknecht was unaware, however, that this star had already been observed in the same position in 1616 by Benedetto Castelli and could not therefore be a planet.

He had 21 children from the two marriages.

Membership

Prussian Academy of Sciences. German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Royal Society]

From 1715 he was a member of the Leopoldina (Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina) and from 1716 a member of the Royal Prussian Society of Sciences.

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Johann Liebknecht

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