LANGSDORF

GERMANY (see also List of Individuals)

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18.5.1757 Nauheim/D - 10.6.1834 Heidelberg/D

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Karl Christian Langsdorf passed his youth in salt mining works. Following a short stay as a Lecturer at Giessen University, he was a land judge in Mühlheim/Ruhr. From 1784, Langsdorf returned to salt mining works as an inspector close to Ansbach. He was a professor of mechanical engineering at Erlangen University from 1796 to 1804, and of mathematics and technology at the Royal Russian University in Vilna until 1806, from where he was knighted. Langsdorf acted as mathematics professor then at Heidelberg University until retirement.

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Langsdorf has published mainly in mathematics and in machinery, such that only works relating to hydraulics are considered hereafter. Following the order of the Duke of Baden County to educate the young Johann Gottfried Tulla (1770-1828) in mathematics and in hydraulics, Langsdorf wrote his 1794 book as a basic approach to hydraulics. One year later, Langsdorf translated the encyclopedic work of Gaspard Riche de Prony (1755-1839) that was considered a continuation of the famous 18th century book by Bernard Forest de Bélidor (1697-1761). In 1807, Langsdorf presented a more generalized work on rigid and fluid mechanics that may be considered a predecessor of the three volumes presented by Franz Josef Gerstner (1756-1832) 25 years later. Finally, in 1812, Langsdorf translated from French into German Prony's book on the uniform channel flow as observed by Antoine de Chézy (1718-1798), the key work in open channel hydraulics of the 18th century. This work introduced the concept of the hydraulic radius in open channel flows.

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_{Franke, P.-G., Kleinschroth, A. (1991). Karl Christian Langsdorf. Kurzbiographien Hydraulik und Wasserbau: 108-109. Lipp: München. P}

_{Günther, O. (1883). Langsdorf, Karl Christian. Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie 17: 691-692.}

_{Duncker&Humblot: Berlin.}

_{Hoffmann, A. (2005). Karl Christian von Langsdorf. Hessische Lebensbilder: 183. Kassel. P}

_{Langsdorf, K.C. (1794). Lehrbuch der Hydraulik mit beständiger Rücksicht auf die Erfahrung.}

_{Richter: Altenburg.}

_{Langsdorf, K.C. (1795). Neue Architektura hydraulika. Frankfurt/M.}

_{Langsdorf, K.C. (1807). Handbuch der gemeinen und höheren Mechanik fester und flüssiger Körper mit besonderer Rücksicht auf Hydrotechnik. Mohr&Zimmer: Heidelberg.}

_{Langsdorf, K.C. (1812). Theoretisch-praktische Abhandlung über die Leitung des Wassers in Kanälen und Röhrenleitungen. Palm: Erlangen.}

_{Sbrzesny, W. (1937). Gestalter im deutschen Wasserbau. Technik-Geschichte 26: 62-70.}