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Othmar Zeidler (29 August 1850 – 17 June 1911)Though many sources mention 1859 as Zeidler's year of birth, this would make him a mere 14 years old at the time of his dissertation in 1873. The 1859 birth yea
was used
by Joseph S. Fruton, in his ''Contrasts in scientific style: research groups in the chemical and biochemical sciences'', Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, Vol 191, 1990, p. 373, as well as by Gerhard Oberkofler in ''Leopold Ruzicka, 1887–1976: schweizer Chemiker und Humanist aus Altösterreich'', p. 44. The latter even has him quit his pharmacy studies at the Vienna University in 1872 (at the apparent age of 12/13) to move to Strassburg. However, ''Materialien zur Geschichte der Apotheken und Apotheker Niederösterreichs'' gives his year of birth as 1850; furthermore, his obituary at ''Oesterreichische Chemiker–Zeitung'' in 1911 states that Zeidler was 61 years at the time of his death, placing his birth around 1850 (in reality, Zeidler died 2 months shy of his 61st birthday).
was an Austrian
chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...
credited with the first synthesis of DDT. He was born on 29 August 1850 in
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. ...
a son of the Viennese pharmacist Franz Zeidler. Othmar's brother, Franz Zeidler Jr. (1851–1901), also became a chemist and would collaborate with him on several projects.Obituary of Franz Zeidler Jr
in ''Zeitschrift des allgemeinen Oesterreichischen Apotheker-Vereines'', Volume 39, 1901
As a doctoral student with
Adolf von Baeyer Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer (; 31 October 1835 – 20 August 1917) was a German chemist who synthesised indigo dye, indigo and developed a Von Baeyer nomenclature, nomenclature for cyclic compounds (that was subsequently extended a ...
at the
University of Strasbourg The University of Strasbourg (, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. Founded in the 16th century by Johannes Sturm, it was a center of intellectual life during ...
, then in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, Zeidler is credited with the first synthesis of the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT in 1874. Othmar returned to Austria before 1876 and, after working at the ''I. chemischen Universitätslaboratorium'' at the
University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...
, became a pharmacist in the Fünfhaus district of the capital.Zeitschrift des allgemeinen Oesterreichischen Apotheker-Vereines
Volume 27 (1889)
He died in Mauer near Vienna on 17 June 1911.


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History , CDC Malaria
at www.cdc.gov * 1850 births 1911 deaths Austrian chemists Chemists from Austria-Hungary Austrian pharmacists 19th-century pharmacists University of Strasbourg alumni Scientists from Vienna {{chemist-stub