Koenigsberg Observatory (;
obs. code:
058) was an astronomical
observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed.
Th ...
and research facility which was attached to the
Albertina University in
Königsberg
Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...
, what is now
Kaliningrad, Russia. The observatory was destroyed by
Royal Air Force bombs in August 1944 during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
Only the reduit (interior of the building) remained from the bastion. The building is a semicircular two-storey building with a brick vault. Nowadays, the building is considered a regional architectural monument.
Description

It was founded in 1810 and started working in 1813. Well-known astronomers who used the observatory included
Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel,
Friedrich Wilhelm Argelander,
Arthur Auwers and
Hermann Struve. In 1838, the
parallax of a star was determined successfully for first time by Bessel using a
heliometer of
Fraunhofer.
Gallery
ID003728 B161 Sternwarte.jpg, Koenigsberg Observatory
Koenigsberg observatory foto.jpg, Observatory (unknown date)
Koenigsberg observatory.jpg, Observatory in 1830
Kaliningrad - Astronomical Bastion.jpg, Ruins of observatory in 2021
External links
Koenigsberg observatory, illustration sciencephoto.com
University of Königsberg
Defunct astronomical observatories
Buildings and structures in Germany destroyed during World War II
1810 establishments in Prussia
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