PROFESSOR IN BERLIN 373 



The Commission convened in 1884-5 to discuss the organiza- 

 tion of the Institute insisted that the proposed foundation, which 

 later received the name of Physikalisch- Technische Reichsanstalt, 

 must comprise a scientific and a technical department, the 

 vigorous co-operation of which would be of great value, and 

 would further the national interests to the utmost. 



Even before the Imperial Budget for 1887-8 had officially 

 sanctioned the necessary expenditure, Siemens, with the consent 

 of the authorities, had begun the building of the Institute as 

 early as 1886 at his own risk, and the Director's House and 

 the buildings for the staff were accordingly ready for occupation 

 by 1889, though the engine-room and observatory were not 

 completed till 1890-1. 



In April, 1887, Helmholtz was formally invited by the 

 Geh. Ober-Regierungsrath Weymann, on behalf of the State 

 Secretary of the Interior, to become President of the new 

 Physico-technical Institute. He accepted on April 4, provided 

 he were compensated by the salary and the official residence 

 attaching to it for his income from the Berlin University 

 and the Friedrich-Wilhelm Institute for Medicine and Surgery, 

 which he would have to give up, and on the understanding 

 that his position at the Academy of Sciences in Berlin was in 

 no way altered. 



When the Treasury had guaranteed these conditions Helm- 

 holtz drew up a scheme for the organization of the scientific 

 department of the Reichsanstalt, and detailed statutes defining 

 the power of the Director of the Physical Section, as well as 

 the co-operation of the Management in the annual schedule 

 of work. The President of the Institute would reserve the 

 right of initiating and carrying on other researches. The 

 working constitution was ratified on July 26 by the Secretary 

 of State for the Interior. 



Meantime the Philosophical Faculty of the University, so 

 soon as they heard of Helmholtz's intention to resign his Chair, 

 had applied to the Minister with the request ' that he would 

 graciously make provision that Herr von Helmholtz should 

 remain a teacher of the University and a Regular Member of 

 the Faculty. As is known to your Excellency, Herr von 

 Helmholtz's master-genius extends to many subjects, his pro- 

 found knowledge to all mathematical and scientific, as well as 



