KP 13

EST: KP13. Weihrauchi haud Raadi kalmistul 

Johann Karl Friedrich Weihrauch (23.11.1841–07.01.1891) oli baltisaksa matemaatik ja meteoroloog. Ta sündis Saksamaal, kus sai ka matemaatilise kõrghariduse ja filosoofiadoktori kraadi. Seejärel töötas ta aastaid gümnaasiumiõpetajana, sh 1865. aastast Kuressaares. 

1871. aastast töötas Weihrauch Tartu Ülikoolis füüsikadotsendina. 1875. aastal valiti ta vastloodud füüsilise geograafia ja meteoroloogia kateedri juhatajaks. Samal aastal sai Weihrauch korraliseks professoriks ja Tartu Ülikooli Meteoroloogia Observatooriumi (Metobs) direktoriks, kuhu ta jäi ametisse oma surmani. Alles tema ametiajal kanti Metobs ülikooli asutuste nimekirja. Kuigi ta taotles observatooriumi ehitamiseks lisaraha, jäi see tulemata ja vaatlusi tuli teha väga halbades tingimustes. 

Professor Weihrauch arendas peamiselt meteoroloogia praktilist ja matemaatilist suunda. Ta esitas üliõpilastele ligi 30 loengukursust matemaatikast ning Maa füüsikast. Tema andmetöötlusmeetodid olid uudsed kogu maailmas, kuid levisid vähe, sest Weihrauchil polnud häid sidemeid teiste keskuste teadlastega. 

Johann Karl Friedrich Weihrauch 

Tartu Linnamuuseum (https://ajapaik.ee/photo/642482/portreefoto-tu-loodusgeograafia-ja-meteoroloogia-professor/)  

ENG: CP13. Weihrauch’s grave in Raadi cemetery 

Johann Karl Friedrich Weihrauch (23 November 1841 – 7 January 1891) was a Baltic German mathematician and meteorologist. He was born in Germany, where he completed higher education in mathematics and earned a doctorate in philosophy. He worked as a secondary school teacher for years, including in Kuressaare from 1865.  

Weihrauch started work as a physics docent at the University of Tartu in 1871. In 1875, when the Chair of Physical Geography and Meteorology was established, he was appointed the head of the chair. In the same year, Weihrauch became a full professor and Director of the University of Tartu Meteorological Observatory (Metobs), a position he held until his death. During his term of office, Metobs was officially listed as a university institution. Although he applied for additional funding for building the observatory, the requests were unsuccessful, and observations had to be carried out under very poor conditions. 

Weihrauch primarily advanced the practical and mathematical lines of meteorology. He gave students nearly 30 lecture courses on mathematics and physics of the Earth. His data processing methods were innovative in the world but remained little known because Weihrauch did not have good connections with scientists at other centres. 

Johann Karl Friedrich Weihrauch 

Tartu City Museum (https://ajapaik.ee/photo/642482/portreefoto-tu-loodusgeograafia-ja-meteoroloogia-professor/)