Fakultät für Chemie und Mineralogie

A curious bust greets you. It’s Michael Heinrich Horn the first chemistry professor in Leipzig. This is the Fakultät für Chemie und Mineralogie. Its history stretches back far beyond its 1994 founding. The University of Leipzig opened in 1409. Initially chemistry wasn’t a separate faculty. It was intertwined with medicine. Chemists were crucial for creating medicines. The first chemistry professorship came much later in 1668. Conservative forces slowed its development. They opposed even establishing a chemistry professorship. They even delayed creating a chemical laboratory for nearly a century. Only the medical faculty showed interest in chemistry’s knowledge. This was due to the connection between chemistry and medicine. The professor of therapy was responsible for collecting and teaching this knowledge. Demand for chemistry increased. This led to the separation of chemistry from therapy. In 1668 Elector George II established a professorship of chemistry. Michael Heinrich Horn was appointed. He was also the Elector’s personal physician. Horn’s expertise extended beyond medicine. He later held the chair of pathology. He even served as the university’s rector. After his death a bust was made in his honor. A plaster cast of this bust is now displayed in the faculty’s library. The original resides in the University’s collection. The growth of chemical knowledge continued. In 1710 Elector Frederick Augustus I established a full professorship of chemistry. He ordered the creation of a chemical laboratory. The first professor Johann Christoph Scheider faced resistance. He failed to establish the laboratory. The struggle for a university laboratory persisted. Christian Gotthold Eschenbach eventually succeeded. In 1805 the first university chemical laboratory opened. It was housed in the Pleißenburg. The Pleißenburg was demolished. The New Town Hall now stands on its site. The site marks the spot of Leipzig’s first chemical laboratory. The 19th century saw the rise of Leipzig’s chemistry. The Fakultät für Chemie und Mineralogie stands as a testament to this rich history. It continues the legacy of renowned chemists. The building itself represents the continuing evolution of chemical research in Leipzig. It is a place of learning and discovery a hub of innovation. It is a vital part of Leipzig’s identity.