KROENCKE

GERMANY (see also List of Individuals)

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29.3.1771 Kirchosten/D - 5.11.1843 Darmstadt/D

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Claus Kroencke took education from Johann Georg Büsch (1728-1800) in Hamburg, and in Göttingen and Gotha, where he met his mate Karl Friedrich von Wiebeking (1762-1842) and whom he accompanied in 1796 to Darmstadt and thus came into contact with works on Rhine River. His 1798 translation on the optimum construction of river dykes by Charles Bossut (1730-1814) dates of this period. In 1798 Kroencke moved to Giessen as inspector of roads. He translated there the research of Christian Brünings (1736-1805) on the velocity distribution in rivers, and dedicated it to Büsch. Kroencke was appointed associate professor of philosophy at Giessen University in 1801. At this time he had to lecture hydraulic and road engineering, algebra, bridges, mechanical engineering and applied mathematics.

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Kroencke took over in 1802 von Wiebeking's position as Rhine River inspector in Giessen. The Territory of Hesse County extended by then over large regions along the river, from the Baden border up to the city of Mainz. The first project for river rehabilitation followed in 1811 which involved the drainage of the Hesse Ried. The dams along the cities of Nordheim to Biblis were redesigned such that the adjacent land quality improved. Kroencke was awarded the Cavalier's Cross of the Grossherzoglichen Hausund Verdienstordens for his excellent works. He was also elected in the county government in 1820 and appointed director of Public Works two years later. Kroencke presented the works relating to the Geyer River Cut for the Rhine River in 1826. He was awarded in 1827 the honorary doctorate from Giessen University. Kroencke thus devoted his life to a main river of Europe and gave an example to others that followed.

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_{Kalweit, H., ed. (1993). Denkmal für Claus Kroencke. Der Rhein unter der Einwirkung des Menschen - Ausbau, Schifffahrt, Wasserwirtschaft. Bericht I-11. Internationale Kommission für die Hydrologie des Rheingebietes: Lelystad. P}

_{Kroencke, C. (1798). Charles Bossuts und Viallets Untersuchungen über die beste Construction der Deiche. Behrens und Körner: Frankfurt/M.}

_{Kroencke, C. (1826). Über die Durchgrabung der Erdzunge am Geyer zur bessern Leitung des Rheins zwischen Worms und Oppenheim. Leske: Darmstadt.}

_{Schulz, H. (1972). Claus Kroencke, ein Lebensbild aus dem vorigen Jahrhundert. Wasser und Boden 24(4): 109-112. P}

_{Wiebeking, K.F. von, Kroencke, C. (1798). Wasserbaukunst Allgemeine auf Geschichte und Erfahrung gegründete theoretisch-practische Wasserbaukunst. Darmstadt.}