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Gustav Robert Kirchhoff
Gustav Kirchhoff 's father was Friedrich Kirchhoff, a lawyer in Königsberg. Gustav's mother was Johanna Henriette Wittke.
In 1988 Gustav Kirchhoff went to the Albertus University of Königsberg to study math when he was at the age of 18. In 1833 Frans Neuman and Jakobi set up a mathematics-physics seminar at Königsberg. Kirchhoff attented at the seminar from 1843 to 1846. It was while he was studying with Neumann that Kirchhoff made his first outstanding research contribution which related to electrical currents. Kirchhoff's laws, which he announced in 1845.
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The year 1847 was an eventful one for Kirchhoff. He graduated from Königsberg in that year and he also married Clara Richelot. They moved to Berlin in 1847. Kirchhoff teached at the University of Berlinfrom 1848 to 1850. He left from Berlin to Breslau where he was a professor of physics. In 1851 Robert Bunsen joined the University as professor of chemistry. In 1852 Bunsen was called at the University Heidelberg and soon he arranged for Kirchhoff to teach at Heidelberg as well. Kirchhoff joined a research with Bunsen and they found a spectrum analysis.
In 1881 he was elected to the Electrical Congress in Paris, as the German delegate. His failing health forced him to prematurely retire in 1886. One year later he died in Berlin on 17 October 1887.
His write books; "Vorlesungen über mathematische Physik " (1876-94, "Lectures on Mathematical Physics") and " Gesammelte Abhandlungen " (1882; supplement, 1891, "Collected Essays").
