An ancient cathedral in West Pomerania and the invention of an early condenser
On 11 October 2013 the 10th EPS Historic Site was inaugurated in Kamień Pomorski in Poland to commemorate the invention of the “Kleistian jar”, more commonly known as the “Leyden jar”.
Ewald Georg von Kleist (10 June 1700 – 11 December 1748) was a German jurist, Lutheran cleric, and physicist. He studied jurisprudence at the University of Leipzig and the University of Leyden. From 1722 to 1745 he was Dean of the Cathedral at Kammin in the Kingdom of Prussia (now Kamień Pomorski in Poland). On 11 October 1745 he invented the “Kleistian jar”, independently reinvented by Pieter van Musschenbroek from Leyden. This won von Kleist a foreign membership in the Berlin Academy of Sciences founded by Leibniz.
The ceremony took place at the City Hall of the town Kamień Pomorski, where representatives of the local community – Mayor, Chief of the Fire Brigade, Rector of the Cathedral, Directors of schools etc. – met the physicists. The EPS was represented by former President Maciej Kolwas, the Polish Physical Society [PPS] by President-elect Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow and by the Chairman of the PPS Szczecin Branch Mariusz Dąbrowski. From nearby Berlin, representatives of the Berlin Physical Society (branch of the German Physical Society [DPG]) with President Michael Müller-Preussker were also present. A member of the very ancient family von Kleist attended the ceremony as well.
The EPS Historic Site plaque, placed on the front wall of the “Kleist Palais” situated near to the Cathedral, was unveiled by former EPS President Maciej Kolwas and PPS President-elect Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow. The ceremony was followed by a two-day seminar on matters concerning the invention of von Kleist, energy and promotion of physics.
Pupils from local secondary schools presented their own hand made models of Kleist’s jars in the local museum.
More information on the EPS Historic sites is available on the EPS website.
