FraSkidenstrædeTilHCØrstedInstitutet

English Summmary From »Filthy Lane« to the H. C. Oersted Institute Fra Skidenstræde til H. C. Ørsted Institutet

Preface Professor Niels Bohr took a great interest in the work of H. C. Oer­ sted. Professor Bohr was also President of the Society for the Pro­ motion o f Physics and Chemistry, founded by Oersted in 1824. This Society is still working for increased knowledge of the exact science and in the memory of H. C. Oersted. H. C. Oersted’s career began at the Copenhagen University anno 1800 and was Professor 1806 until his death 1851. Oersted became one o f the great figures of science as well as of Danish history. He is internationally known firstly for the discovery of Electromagnetism, secondly for the Isolation of Aluminium. Our debt to him is reflected in the naming of the large, newlybuilt institute for physics, chemistry and mathematics at Copenhagen University (shown on the back cover of this book). Professor Bohr pronounced his interest in having elucidated the location and lay-out of the oldest university laboratory in which Oersted worked. This pronouncement was brought about by the faet that the author of this book had placed parts of his research work before the committee of the old Society. When the manuscript had been finished, Professor Niels Bohr had died. His successor as President for the Society, Professor, Dr. Faurholt, has promoted the publishing of the manuscript and as result of this promotion the Carlsberg Foundation has defrayed the expenses. Introduction: Our time, the age o f changes The scientific, technical, and cultural development which has taken place within the comparatively short space of time, namely 225