Wilhelm Steinkopf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Prof. Dr. rer. nat.
Georg Wilhelm Steinkopf
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| Born | 28 June 1879 Staßfurt, Province of Saxony, Prussia, German Empire
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| Died | 12 March 1949 (aged 69) Stuttgart, Württemberg-Baden, Germany
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| Alma mater | Technische Hochschule Karlsruhe |
| Occupation | Chemist |
| Organization | Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physical Chemistry and Elektrochemistry |
| Known for | Production of mustard gas |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Petra Eleonore Steinkopf, née. Heizler (1875–1931) |
| Children | Sofie Elise Steinkopf (born 1903) |
| Parent(s) | Gustav Friedrich Steinkopf (1842–1899), merchant Elise Steinkopf, née. Heine (1841–1886) |
Georg Wilhelm Steinkopf (born June 28, 1879 – died March 12, 1949) was a German chemist. He is mainly remembered for his important work during World War I, where he helped create a dangerous chemical weapon known as mustard gas.
Early Life and Education
Georg Wilhelm Steinkopf was born on June 28, 1879, in Staßfurt, which was then part of the German Empire. His father, Gustav Friedrich Steinkopf, was a merchant.
In 1898, Georg started studying chemistry and physics at the University of Heidelberg. A year later, he moved to the Technische Hochschule Karlsruhe (now called the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). He finished his studies there in 1905, earning a degree as an engineer. While in Karlsruhe, he met other important chemists like Fritz Haber. After getting his doctorate and becoming a professor in 1909, he taught at the TU Karlsruhe until 1914. That year, he volunteered to serve in World War I.
Work During World War I
In 1916, Fritz Haber, who was then the director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry in Berlin, invited Steinkopf to join his team. Steinkopf became the head of a group focused on researching chemical weapons.
Working with another chemical engineer named Wilhelm Lommel, Steinkopf developed a way to produce large amounts of mustard gas. This gas was very harmful. The German military later gave mustard gas the code name LOST, which stood for LOmmel and STeinkopf.
Steinkopf's work with mustard gas and similar chemicals had a bad effect on his health. Because of this, he moved to a different department at the institute in 1917. There, he oversaw the production of gas ammunition.
Later Career and Research
After World War I ended, Steinkopf moved to Dresden, even though Fritz Haber wanted him to stay in Berlin. From 1919 until his retirement, he worked as a professor of organic chemistry at the Technische Universität Dresden.
His research focused on different types of chemical compounds. He studied organic arsenic compounds, thiophene compounds, and how petroleum is formed.
In 1924, Steinkopf became a member of an advisory council for the German military's weapons research and development agency. He worked on this in secret, and most of his friends and colleagues in Dresden did not know about it.
After the National Socialists came to power in 1933, the German military minister asked for Steinkopf's work during World War I to be recognized more. In 1935, Steinkopf was promoted to a full professor. He continued to work at the TU Dresden until he retired in 1940.
Final Years
Steinkopf's health remained fragile because of his earlier work with mustard gas. He passed away on March 12, 1949, in Stuttgart.
Besides his scientific research, Steinkopf also enjoyed writing. He wrote several poems, short stories (called novellas), and novels.
