Johann Joseph

Ritter Ritter (German for "knight") is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second-lowest rank within the nobility, standing above " Edler" and below "" (Baron). As with most titles and desig ...

von Prechtl (16 November 1778, Bischofsheim, Grand-Dukal Würzburg (today's)

Lower Franconia Lower Franconia (, ) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia. It consists of nine districts and 308 municipalities (including three cities). History After ...

28 October 1854,

Wieden Wieden (; ) is the 4th municipal district of Vienna, Austria (). It is near the centre of Vienna and was established as a district in 1850, but its borders were changed later. Wieden is a small region near the city centre. Wien.gv.at webpage (s ...

No. 54 (today's Paniglgasse, 4th district of

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

)) was a German-born Austrian (since 1802) technologist and educator. He is regarded as a pioneer of technical education in Austria. From 1796 he studied

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

and

legal science Legal science is one of the main components in civil law tradition (after Roman law, canon law, commercial law, and the legacy of the revolutionary period). Legal science is primarily the creation of German legal scholars of the middle and late n ...

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

, later working as a private instructor outside of

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, and afterwards as a teacher of

natural science Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

and

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

at a secondary school in

(181014). In 1815 he became founder and first director of the Vienna Polytechnic Institute. With Johann Arzberger (17781835), he conducted research of public gas illumination, being credited with introducing a

coal gas Coal gas is a flammable gaseous fuel made from coal and supplied to the user via a piped distribution system. It is produced when coal is heated strongly in the absence of air. Town gas is a more general term referring to manufactured gaseous ...

generating plant at the institute. Reportedly, in 1818, there were 25 operational public gas lanterns in Vienna. In 1823 he developed a portable baroscope.

Written works

With Karl Karmarsch (180379), he was editor of a multi-volume

encyclopedia An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into article (publishing), articles or entries that are arranged Alp ...

of technology, ''Technologische Encyklopädie oder alphabetisches Handbuch der Technologie, der technischen Chemie und des Maschinenwesens'' (Technological encyclopedia or an alphabetic textbook of technology,

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of the operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials ...

and

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines and mechanism (engineering), mechanisms that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and engineering mathematics, mathematics principl ...

). Begun in 1830, the encyclopedia consisted of twenty volumes, with five supplementary volumes being issued by Karmarsch after Prechtl's death (from 1857 to 1869). Other noteworthy written efforts by Prechtl include: * ''Ueber die Fehler in der Erziehung, vorzüglich in Hinsicht auf die gesellschaftlichen Uebel'', 1804 – On errors in education in terms of social ills. * ''Anleitung zur zweckmäßigsten Einrichtung der Apparate zur Beleuchtung mit Steinkohlen-Gas'' 1817 – Guide to the most appropriate device for lighting appliances with coal gas. * ''Praktische Dioptrik als vollständige und gemeinfassliche Anleitung zur Verfertigung achromatischer Fernröhre : nach den neuesten Verbesserungen und Hülfsmitteln und eigenen Erfahrungen''. 1828 – Practical

dioptrics Dioptrics is the branch of optics dealing with refraction, especially by lenses. In contrast, the branch dealing with mirrors is known as '' catoptrics''. Telescopes that create their image with an objective that is a convex lens ( refractors) a ...

as complete and comprehensible instructions for construction of

achromatic telescope The achromatic telescope is a refracting telescope that uses an achromatic lens to correct for chromatic aberration. How it works When an image passes through a lens, the light is refracted at different angles for different wavelengths. This re ...

Commemoration

. Since 1886, the ''Prechtlgasse'' in the

Alsergrund Alsergrund (; ) is the ninth district of Vienna, Austria (). It is located just north of the first, central district, Innere Stadt. Alsergrund was incorporated in 1862, with seven suburbs. As a central district, the area is densely populated. Accor ...

district of Vienna has been named in his honor.Statement based on a translation of an equivalent article at the

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References

Biography
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Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB; ) is one of the most important and comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language. It was published by the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences between 1875 and 1912 in 56 volumes, printed in Lei ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prechtl, Johann Joseph von 1778 births 1854 deaths 19th-century Austrian engineers Engineers from the Austrian Empire Scientists from the Austrian Empire Austrian mechanical engineers Educators from the Austrian Empire Engineering academics Academic staff of TU Wien Heads of universities and colleges University of Würzburg alumni People from Rhön-Grabfeld People from Wieden 18th-century German educators