162 Obituary. 



best general and popular account of Abbe's lite and work is to- 

 be found in Professor Auerbach's little book on the Carl Zeiss 

 " Stiftung," of which an English translation has just appeared. * 



Abbe was a member of many learned societies. Amongst 

 other distinctions, he was appointed Extra- Ordinary Professor of 

 the University of Jena in 1870, and had the honorary degree of 

 Doctor of Medicine conferred on him by the University of Halle, 

 and Doctor of Laws by the University of Jena, He married, in 

 1871, a daughter of his former teacher, Professor Snell, and had 

 two daughters. He always lived in the simplest style, and his 

 unassuming manners, his accessibility to the humblest of his work- 

 people, his unvarying kindness, the knowledge of his strong sense 

 of fairness and justice, and his noble ideals, led to his being 

 universally esteemed, and in many cases revered. He was one of 

 those magnetic personalities who seemed to be able to influence all 

 those around. Though he had plenty of opponents of his socio- 

 logical, as well as of his scientific ideas, he had no enemies ; for 

 everyone knew that everything he did or said was actuated by the 

 single-minded desire for reform and progress, and no one was more 

 unmindful of self. He ever kept his name in the background, 

 and in all he did sought to bury his own individuality. Expres- 

 sions of thanks or admiration for anything he did were waived aside. 

 The fact of having moved in the direction of his ideals was 

 sufficient for him. To realise those ideals, to carry out some 

 improvement in science, to elaborate some plan for the betterment 

 of his employes, he would work day in day out, allowing himself 

 no relaxation, and in the end, indeed, he completely shattered his 

 constitution thereby. 



It is rare to find a high degree of idealism combined with per- 

 sistent and consistent action to the attainment of its end. To the 

 combination of qualities, seldom found together in one individual, 

 we must look in a great measure for the cause of Abbe's greatness. 

 Not alone the acuteness of his intellect, whether applied to scientific 

 research or to sociological problems, made Abbe what he was ; 

 neither was it his lofty aspirations, his philanthropy, nor his un- 

 doubted talent as an organiser — it was the union of all these with 

 the will-power, the energy and determination to carry through 

 everything that he conceived to be right, regardless of obstacles 

 and of the complete self-abnegation it entailed, that led to the 

 remarkable achievements which have secured for Abbe a fame that 

 time will not impair. 



* " The Zeiss Works and the Carl Zeiss ' Stiftung,' " by Felix Auerbaoh, trans- 

 lated by Paul and Cheshire. Published 1904, by Marshall, Brookes and Chalkley. 

 Limited, London. 



