HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ 



to the universities of the latter being scattered in the 

 various states. By degrees, however, concentration 

 also occurred in Germany. According to Wiedemann, 

 an important school of mathematical physics arose in 

 Konigsberg, and at last in Berlin, as in Paris, and 

 largely owing to the influence and fame of Mitscher- 

 lich, a scientific centre was formed. 



The earlier workers in the period of scientific 

 awakening were such men as Mitscherlich and Liebig 

 among chemists, and Ohm, Franz Neumann, and 

 Wilhelm Weber among physicists. These were soon 

 joined by the contingent from Berlin, which included 

 PoggendorfF, Riess, Dove, and Magnus. The latter, 

 Magnus, became especially a notable teacher and 

 laboratory worker, influencing both by teaching and 

 example a number of young and able men. These 

 physicists were in rebellion against the metaphysical 

 schools which had so long dominated the thought of 

 Germany, and they swung almost to the opposite 

 extreme, extolling nothing but experience and experi- 

 ment. For a time the collection of facts seemed to 

 be the paramount object in physical research ; theory 

 was in the background. So far did Magnus carry this 

 view, that, as we are assured by Wiedemann, he was 

 constantly warning his pupils not to plunge too deeply 

 into mathematics, and he regarded experimental and 

 mathematical physics as two separate departments. 

 In this way, do doubt, the Berlin school built a firm 

 foundation of fact for theoretical views, as distinguished 



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