MEMOIR OF KIRCHHOFF. 529 



self to mathematics, aud in fact be commeuced the study of it under 

 Richelot,aud the elder Neumann. The latter, at first a mineralogist, aud 

 afterwards gradually becoming one of the great founders of the mathe- 

 matical physics of our time, had a decisive influence on Kirchhofl". 

 The student took to physics too, and helped to build up his nuister's 

 structure. While still a student, Kirchhoff wrote, in 1845, an excellent 

 original paper (Ou the flow of electricity through a circular plate), and 

 was granted a scholarship for a scientific journey to Paris. The dis- 

 turbances of the year 1848, prevented him from going any farther than 

 Berlin, howev^er. He stopped there and qualified for a professorship in 

 mathematical physics. Strange to say, the first course of lectures of a 

 professor who afterwards attracted hundreds did not take place. 

 Mathematical physics a[)i)eared at tlie time a very remote and abstract 

 subject. In the year 1830, Kirchhoff went to Breslau in the quality of 

 an adjuuct professor, and in 1851, as a full professor to Heidelberg, so 

 that he went through the usual career of a German professor. 



The bloom of his life was the tweuty years he lived and taught at 

 Heidelberg. These years fell into the most brilliant period of the most 

 beautiful of German u'llversities, and Kirchholf himself contributed 

 much to the increase and preservation of Heidelberg's fame. 



Indeed, when Kirchhoff came to Heidelberg, the University of that 

 town held an undisputed rank as the foremost of the German universi- 

 ties, through therenowu of its teachers in law aud history. A. v. Van. 

 gerow exercised an incomparable attraction through his celebrated 

 lectures on the Pandects ; at his side worked men like Wittermaier, 

 Renaud, Mohl; the historians Schlossen, Weber, Gervinus, Hausser 

 have a world-wide renown. They raised the level not only of scientific 

 — but even of social life to such a high standard that all who partook of 

 it preserve forever the recollection of those days. A circle arose around 

 Hausser in particular, which took its first beginning from political 

 grounds, but became afterwards the seat of an enchanting and cheerful 

 conviviality. Among the scientists, Kirchhoff's predecessor Jolly, the 

 anatomist Henle, the clinical physician Pfeuffer, all belonged to this 

 circle; and Buusen, who was already famous when he came in 1852 to 

 Heidelberg, was one of its foremost members. 



Robert Bunsen, whose friendship with Kirchhofi' became as eventful 

 ill the annals of German science as that of Gauss and Weber, made his 

 acquaintance at Breslau. It was through Bunsen's influence that Kirch- 

 hoff received a call to Heidelberg. 



The large public knew notliing of Kirchhoff' at the time his Berlin 

 and Breslau papers could only be appreciated by his fellow-physicists. 

 There was a great surprise at Heidelberg accordingly, when — heartily 

 recommended by Bunsen — there came an unusually young, gentle, shy 

 and modest North German. His fine, spirited talk, his amiabhi manners 

 full of courtesy to every one, and his keen sense of wit and humor won 

 the hearts of those who came nearer to him. Kir(5hhoff became accord- 

 H. Mis. 224 34 



