Kurt Heinrich Meyer

==Life and work==

==Life and work==

Born in [[Tartu]], Estonia, Meyer was the son of the pharmacologist [[Hans Horst Meyer]]. He was a student from 1892 until 1901 in the “Gymnasium Philippinum” in [[Marburg]], Germany. This was followed at first by studies in medicine, later in chemistry in Marburg (where [[Theodor Zincke]] was the professor), and in [[Leipzig]], [[Freiburg]], [[London]], and [[Munich]]. In Leipzig, Meyer obtained his PhD in 1907 with the dissertation “Untersuchungen über Halochromie” (Research on Halochromie) under the direction of [[Arthur Hantzsch]]. Afterwards, following the advice of his father, he travelled to England to complement his education and worked for several months in the laboratory of [[Ernest Rutherford]]. After his return to Germany in 1891, he obtained the highest academic degree, the [[Habilitation]], working under the direction of [[Adolf von Baeyer]] in Munich on the determination of the equilibrium of the [[Keto-enol tautomerism]] of ethyl acetoacetate. This was done through the determination of the Enol content in Keto-Enol-tautomerism equilibria via titration of bromine (“Ueber die Keto-Enol Tautomerie”). The [[Meyer-Schuster rearrangement]] and the "Meyer’s Back Titration" method bear his name.

Born in [[Tartu]], Estonia, Meyer was the son of the pharmacologist [[Hans Horst Meyer]]. He was a student from 1892 until 1901 in the “Gymnasium Philippinum” in [[Marburg]], Germany. This was followed at first by studies in medicine, later in chemistry at [[Marburg University]] (where [[Theodor Zincke]] was the professor), and at [[Leipzig University]], the [[University of Freiburg]], the [[University of London]], and at the [[Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München]]. In Leipzig, Meyer obtained his PhD in 1907 with the dissertation “Untersuchungen über Halochromie” (Research on Halochromie) under the direction of [[Arthur Hantzsch]]. Afterwards, following the advice of his father, he travelled to England to complement his education and worked for several months in the laboratory of [[Ernest Rutherford]]. After his return to Germany in 1891, he obtained the highest academic degree, the [[Habilitation]], working under the direction of [[Adolf von Baeyer]] in Munich on the determination of the equilibrium of the [[Keto-enol tautomerism]] of ethyl acetoacetate. This was done through the determination of the Enol content in Keto-Enol-tautomerism equilibria via titration of bromine (“Ueber die Keto-Enol Tautomerie”). The [[Meyer-Schuster rearrangement]] and the "Meyer’s Back Titration" method bear his name.

In [[World War I]], beginning in 1914, Meyer served as an officer in the artillery, however he was called in 1917 to carry out warfare research work in the [[Kaiser Wilhelm Society]] Institute in Berlin under the direction of [[Fritz Haber]]. After the end of the war he worked at the [[Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich]] under the direction of [[Richard Willstätter]]. After a few more years at the university, he moved in 1921 to the [[BASF]] AG in [[Ludwigshafen]], where he was appointed as director of the Research laboratories. Here his interests were concerned with high [[Polymer chemistry]]. He worked in collaboration with [[Herman Francis Mark]], whom he had brought into his institute. In 1929 he relinquished this position of director and in 1931 became Professor of organic and inorganic Chemistry at the [[University of Geneva]] in Switzerland. There, one of his long-time collaborators was A.J.A. van der Wijk. Among his many students and collaborators was [[Edmond H. Fischer]], who obtained in 1992 the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] he shared with [[Edwin G. Krebs]]. Fischer's doctoral research was involved with the isolation and purification of the [[Alpha-amylase]], where he confirmed its nature as that of a [[protein]], and not of a [[polysaccharide]].

In [[World War I]], beginning in 1914, Meyer served as an officer in the artillery, however he was called in 1917 to carry out warfare research work in the [[Kaiser Wilhelm Society]] Institute in Berlin under the direction of [[Fritz Haber]]. After the end of the war he worked at the [[Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München]] under the direction of [[Richard Willstätter]]. After a few more years at the university, he moved in 1921 to the [[BASF]] AG in [[Ludwigshafen]], where he was appointed as director of the Research laboratories. Here his interests were concerned with high [[Polymer chemistry]]. He worked in collaboration with [[Herman Francis Mark]], whom he had brought into his institute. In 1929, he relinquished this position of director and in 1931 became Professor of organic and inorganic Chemistry at the [[University of Geneva]] in Switzerland. There, one of his long-time collaborators was A.J.A. van der Wijk. Among his many students and collaborators was [[Edmond H. Fischer]], who obtained in 1992 the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] he shared with [[Edwin G. Krebs]]. Fischer's doctoral research was involved with the isolation and purification of the [[Alpha-amylase]], where he confirmed its nature as that of a [[protein]], and not of a [[polysaccharide]].

Meyer died in 1952 on a vacation in [[Menton]], France. His son, [[Horst Meyer (physicist)|Horst Meyer]], studied at the universities of Geneva and Zürich and since 1959 has been a professor of physics – emeritus since 2005 - at [[Duke University]] in [[Durham, North Carolina]].

Meyer died in 1952 on a vacation in [[Menton]], France. His son, [[Horst Meyer (physicist)|Horst Meyer]], studied at the universities of Geneva and Zürich and since 1959 has been a professor of physics – emeritus since 2005 - at [[Duke University]] in [[Durham, North Carolina]].