MEMOIR OF ENCKE 



By G. Hagen. 



Translated for the Smithsonian Institution hj C. A. Alexander.* 



Last year died the director of our observatory, Professor Encke. Besides his 

 otlier scientific and serviceable labors, ho acted for eight and thirty years as 

 secretary of the physico-inathematical class of our Academy, and during- that long 

 interval administered the affairs pertaining to the office with the utmost dis- 

 interestedness, skill and discretion. 



Johann Franz Encke was born in Hamburg, September 23, 1791. His 

 father, archdeacon in the Jacobi-church at tliat place, died four years afterwards. 

 Although his mother brought to the rearing of her eight children remarkable 

 energy <jf character, yet the moderate pension which the family still drew from 

 the church by no means sufficed for the expense of extensive studies. 



As a preparation tor the business of life Enck(! first resorted to a private school 

 kept by Hipp, the author of several mathematical works, and later, from 1805 

 to 1810, frequented the Johanneum, wliere Hipp was still his teacher. Under 

 these circumstances he very early clevek)ped a singular predilection for mathe- 

 matical studies. At this time he voluntarily imposed on himself the task of 

 repeatedly going over tlie collection of prol)lems propounded by Jileyer-Hirsch, 

 and is stated in the parting certificate awarded him, October 11, 1810, to have 

 been a model to his school-fellows for diligence, con-ectuess of deportment, and 

 modesty. 



It was now that he expressed to his mother the wish to study astronomy, and 

 his two elder brothers, who had entered into trade and who recognized his talent, 

 devoted themselves to the furtherance of his purpose, which they were enabled 

 to gratify through the intervention of the pastor, Scliiifer, During a year ho 

 attended a gymnasium in Hamburg, and proceeded in 1811, shortly after the 

 death of his mother, to Gottingen. Here an older fellow-countryman named 

 Gerling introduced him to Gauss, whom he was accustomed afterwards to regard 

 as pre-eminently his instmctor, and to whom he referred almost exclusively his 

 mathematical and astronomical culture. Especially instructive did he consider 

 an entirely private course ( privatissimum) Avhich, together with Gerling, he 

 attended in the summer of 1812, at the residence of Gauss, who, on his own 

 part, in a letter to Schumacher of this date, already calls Encke '' his highly 

 accomplished and well-informed pujjil." 



Political events led Encke, in the beginning of 1813, to enter into the Han- 

 seatic artillery service. He was engaged in tlie bloody fight for the fortress of 

 Gohrde, September 16, where Wallmoden attacked and defeated the corps 

 which Davoust had despatched thither imder Pecheux. He also took part, the 

 following month, in Tettenborn'sl)old advance upon liremen. In the honorable 

 discharge granted him, Jtme 24, 1814, he is styled sergeant-major of cavalry. 



He resumed his studies in Gottingen, but as the war broke out anew the fol- 

 lowing spring, he at once decided, in company with his younger l)rotlier who 



*Abhandlungen der kouigl. Academie der Wisseuscbafteu zu Berlin, 1866. Eoad 5th 

 July, 1866, before tbe Royal Academy of Sciences at Berlin 



13 s 



