Johann von Löwenstern-Kunckel
Encyclopedia
Johann Kunckel, awarded Swedish nobility in 1693 under the name von Löwenstern-Kunckel (1630 - prob. 20 March 1703), German
chemist, was born in 1630 (or 1638), near Rendsburg
, his father being alchemist
to the court of Holstein
. He became chemist and apothecary
to the dukes of Lauenburg, and then to the Elector of Saxony, Johann Georg II
, who put him in charge of the royal laboratory at Dresden
. Intrigues engineered against him caused him to resign this position in 1677, and for a time he lectured on chemistry at Annaberg
and Wittenberg
. Invited to Berlin
by Frederick William
, in 1679 he became director of the laboratory and glass works of Brandenburg
. In 1688 the king of Sweden, Charles XI
, brought him to Stockholm
, ennobling him under the name von Löwenstern-Kunckel in 1693 and making him a member of the Bergskollegium
, the Board of Mines. He died probably on 20 March 1703 near Stockholm (other sources claim he died the previous year 1702 at Dreissighufen, his country house near Prenden, Germany).
Kunkel shares with Boyle
the honor of having discovered the secret of the process by which Hennig Brand
of Hamburg
had prepared phosphorus
in 1669, and he found how to make artificial ruby (red glass) by the incorporation of Purple of Cassius
. His work also included observations on putrefaction and fermentation
, which he spoke of as sisters, on the nature of salts and on the preparation of pure metals. Though he lived in an atmosphere of alchemy, he derided the notion of the alkahest
or universal solvent
, and denounced the deceptions of fraudulent people who pretended to effect the transmutation of metals (this does not mean he did not believe in transmutation, though; in his "Experimental Confirmation of Chymical Philosophy" alone he claims to have achieved at least three different transmutations), he believed mercury
to be a constituent of all metals and heavy minerals, though he held there was no proof of the presence of "sulphur comburens".
His chief works were Öffentliche Zuschrift von dem Phosphor Mirabil (1678); Ars vitriaria experimentalis (1689) and Laboratorium chymicum (1716).
(1911). Johann von Löwenstern-Kunckel in Dansk biografisk Lexikon.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
chemist, was born in 1630 (or 1638), near Rendsburg
Rendsburg
Rendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. As of 2006, it had a population of 28,476.-History:...
, his father being alchemist
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
to the court of Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
. He became chemist and apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
to the dukes of Lauenburg, and then to the Elector of Saxony, Johann Georg II
John George II, Elector of Saxony
John George was the Elector of Saxony from 1656 to 1680.He was the third but eldest surviving son of the Elector John George I of Saxony and Magdalene Sybille of Prussia, his second spouse....
, who put him in charge of the royal laboratory at Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. Intrigues engineered against him caused him to resign this position in 1677, and for a time he lectured on chemistry at Annaberg
Annaberg
Annaberg is a former district in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It was bounded by the Czech Republic and the districts of Aue-Schwarzenberg, Stollberg and Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis. Its national colors are pink, green, and blue.- History :In the Middle Ages the Ore Mountains were virtually...
and Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
. Invited to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
by Frederick William
Frederick William
The name Frederick William usually refers to several monarchs and princes of the Hohenzollern dynasty:*Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg *Frederick William I , King of Prussia*Frederick William II , King of Prussia...
, in 1679 he became director of the laboratory and glass works of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
. In 1688 the king of Sweden, Charles XI
Charles XI of Sweden
Charles XI also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire ....
, brought him to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, ennobling him under the name von Löwenstern-Kunckel in 1693 and making him a member of the Bergskollegium
Swedish Board of Mines
The Swedish Board of Mines was a Swedish government agency that worked between 1637–1857 with the task of guiding and controlling the mining industry and metal processing in Sweden. Between 1637–1649 its name was Generalbergsamtet, also called Bergsämbetet....
, the Board of Mines. He died probably on 20 March 1703 near Stockholm (other sources claim he died the previous year 1702 at Dreissighufen, his country house near Prenden, Germany).
Kunkel shares with Boyle
Robert Boyle
Robert Boyle FRS was a 17th century natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, and inventor, also noted for his writings in theology. He has been variously described as English, Irish, or Anglo-Irish, his father having come to Ireland from England during the time of the English plantations of...
the honor of having discovered the secret of the process by which Hennig Brand
Hennig Brand
Hennig Brand was a merchant and alchemist in Hamburg, Germany. He discovered phosphorus around 1669.-Early life:The circumstances of Brand's birth are unknown. Some sources describe his origins as humble and indicate that he had been an apprentice glass-maker as a young man...
of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
had prepared phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
in 1669, and he found how to make artificial ruby (red glass) by the incorporation of Purple of Cassius
Purple of Cassius
Purple of Cassius is a purple pigment formed by the reaction of gold salts with tin chloride. It has been used to impart glass with a red coloration , as well as to determine the presence of gold as a chemical test....
. His work also included observations on putrefaction and fermentation
Fermentation (biochemistry)
Fermentation is the process of extracting energy from the oxidation of organic compounds, such as carbohydrates, using an endogenous electron acceptor, which is usually an organic compound. In contrast, respiration is where electrons are donated to an exogenous electron acceptor, such as oxygen,...
, which he spoke of as sisters, on the nature of salts and on the preparation of pure metals. Though he lived in an atmosphere of alchemy, he derided the notion of the alkahest
Alkahest
Alkahest is a hypothetical universal solvent, having the power to dissolve every other substance, including gold. It was much sought after by alchemists for what they thought would be its invaluable medicinal qualities. The name is believed to have been invented by Paracelsus from Switzerland,...
or universal solvent
Solvent
A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...
, and denounced the deceptions of fraudulent people who pretended to effect the transmutation of metals (this does not mean he did not believe in transmutation, though; in his "Experimental Confirmation of Chymical Philosophy" alone he claims to have achieved at least three different transmutations), he believed mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
to be a constituent of all metals and heavy minerals, though he held there was no proof of the presence of "sulphur comburens".
His chief works were Öffentliche Zuschrift von dem Phosphor Mirabil (1678); Ars vitriaria experimentalis (1689) and Laboratorium chymicum (1716).
External links
Johann von Löwenstern-Kunckel in Nordisk familjebokNordisk familjebok
Nordisk familjebok is a Swedish encyclopedia, published between 1876 and 1957.- History :The first edition was published in 20 volumes between 1876 and 1899. The first edition is known as the "Iðunn edition" because of the picture of Iðunn on the cover...
(1911). Johann von Löwenstern-Kunckel in Dansk biografisk Lexikon.