The Chemical Industry in Europe, 1850–1914: Industrial Growth, Pollution, and Professionalization

337 Pages·1998·11.229 MB·English

by  Ernst Homburg, Anthony S. Travis (auth.), Ernst Homburg, Anthony S. Travis, Harm G. Schröter (eds.)

THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN EUROPE, 1850-1914
Chemists and Chemistry
VOLUME 17
A series of books devoted to the examination of the history and development
of chemistry from its early emergence as a separate discipline to the present
day. The series will describe the personalities, processes, theoretical and
technical advances which have shaped our current understanding of
chemical science.
The European Science Foundation (ESF) acts as a catalyst for the develop
ment of science by bringing together leading scientists and funding agencies
to debate, plan and implement pan- European scientific and science policy
initiatives.
The ESF is an association of 62 major national funding agencies devot
ed to basic scientific research in 21 countries. It represents all scien
tific disciplines: physical and engineering sciences, life and environmen
tal sciences, medical sciences, humanities and social sciences. The Foun
dation assists its Member Organisations in two main ways: by bring
ing scientists together in its scientific programmes, networks and Euro
pean research conferences, to work on topics of common concern; and
through the joint study of issues of strategic importance in European science
policy.
It maintains close relations with other scientific institutions within and outside
Europe. Through its activities, the ESF adds value by cooperation and coordi
nation across national frontiers and endeavours, offers expert scientific advice
on strategic issues, and provides the European forum for fundamental science.
This book is one of the outcomes of the ESF-Scientific Programme on The
Evolution of Chemistry in Europe, 1789-1939.
The titles published in this series are listed at the end of this volume.
THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
IN EUROPE, 1850-1914
Industrial Growth,
Pollution, and Professionalization
Edited by
Ernst Homburg
Rijksuniversiteit Limburg,
Maastricht, The Netherlands
Anthony S. Travis
Sidney M. Edelstein Center,
Hebrew University,
Jerusalem, Israel
and
Harm G. Schroter
University ofK onstanz,
Konstanz, Germany
SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V.
A C.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-90-481-4971-1 ISBN 978-94-017-3253-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-3253-6
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved
© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1998
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1998
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or
utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.
CONTENTS
Preface ix
Introduction
Ernst Homburg and Anthony S. Travis
Patterns of Industrialization
I. The Rise of the Swiss Chemical Industry Reconsidered
Christian Sinwn 9
2. The Emergence of the Danish Chemical Industry:
The Role Played by Chemists
Hans Jergen Styhr Petersen 29
3. The Italian Chemical Industry from 1861 to 1918
Paolo Amat di San Filippo 45
4. The Polish Chemical Industry: Isolated Developments in
a Divided Country
Roman Mierzecki 59
5. Between Science and Industry: The Background and Formation
of the Swedish Chemical Society during the 1880s
Anders Lundgren 73
6. An Issue of Different Mentalities: National Approaches to the
Development of the Chemical Industry in Britain and Germany
before 1914
Harm G. Schroter and Anthony S. Travis 95
vi Contents
Pollution
7. Pollution and Public Concern: The Response of the Chemical Industry
in Britain to Emerging Environmental Issues, 1860-190 I
Sarah Wilmot 121
8. Robert Angus Smith and the Alkali Inspectorate
Peter Reed 149
9. Pollution and the Dutch Chemical Industry: The Turning Point
of the 1850s
Ernst Homburg 165
10. Pollution and the Chemical Industry: The Case of the German
Dye Industry
Arne Andersen 183
Chemists and Companies
II. Structural Locations for Chemists in the British Alkali Industry,
1850-1910
James Donnelly 203
12. Temperature Control in the Chemical and Metallurgical Industries,
1870-1910
Stuart Bennett 221
13. An Instrument of Corporate Strategy: The Central Research
Laboratory at BASF 1868-1890
Carsten Reinhardt 239
14. Heinrich Caro and Ivan Levinstein: Uniting the Colours of
Ludwigshafen and Lancashire
Anthony S. Travis 261
15. Innovation in the German Pharmaceutical Industry, 1880 to 1920
Wolfgang Wimmer 281
Contents vii
16. Academic Research and Technological Innovation in Chemistry:
The Case of Paul Schiitzenberger (1829-1897)
Gerard Emptoz 293
17. Daniel August Rosenstiehl (1839-1916): An Alsatian Chemist
in the Synthetic Dyestuffs Industry
Anne-Claire Dere 305
Notes on Contributors 321
Index 327
PREFACE
Europe is the cradle of the modem international chemical industry. From the middle
of the nineteenth century until the outbreak of World War I, the European chemical
industry influenced not only the production and control of science and technology,
but also made significant contributions towards economic development, as well as
bringing about profound changes in working and living enviromnents. It is a highly
complex heritage, both rich and threatening, that calls for close scrutinity.
Fortunately, a unique opportunity to explore the historical development of the
European chemical industry from a variety of novel standpoints, was made possible
during 1993 as part of the European Science Foundation (ESF) programme called
'The Evolution of Chemistry in Europe, 1789-1939.' This process of exploration
has taken place through three workshops, each dealing with different time periods.
The workshop concerned with the period 1850-1914, which corresponds roughly
to the so-called Second Industrial Revolution, was held in Maastricht, The
Netherlands, on 23-25 March 1995. This volume is the outcome of that workshop.
The other workshops dealing with European chemical industry were held in Liege
in 1994, covering the First Industrial Revolution period, 1789-1850, and Strasbourg
in 1996, covering the period between the two World Wars.
The Second Industrial Revolution, as far as chemistry is concerned, was charac
terized by the advent of a number of new technologies (including those for synthetic
dyestuffs and the related pharmaceuticals, ammonia soda, fertilisers, explosives, and
electrochemical processes), the growing importance of chemical analysis and
process control, and the emergence of the industrial research laboratory. To survey
these and related fields, we deliberately brought together contributors from diverse
backgrounds. This book, therefore, addresses many audiences, including historians
of chemistry, technology, business, law, education and economics, as well as
chemical educators. It extends and updates L.F. Haber's standard work of 1958 in
several ways by taking into account issues that were marginal or completely ignored
in the 1950s, or were interpreted in different ways. Notably, late twentieth century
perspectives must take into account the enviromnental impact of chemical industry,
detailed and reflective studies on the contributions of both academic and industrial
chemists, organisational aspects within firms and corporations, and developments
in countries quite apart from the acknowledged leaders (Germany, Britain, France).
x Preface
One of the principal aims of the ESF programme has been to encourage the inter
action between historians from as many European countries as possible. We have
done our best to fulfil this aim. We are convinced of the intrinsic importance for
future studies of the availability of information on European countries about which,
until now, hardly any English language publications existed. All contributors and
participants are thanked for their engagement in often lively and informative
debates.
Finally, thanks are due to the ESF for its generosity in supporting the
programme, to the publishers, Kluwer, and to Jacqueline Arts, Lilian Essers and
Anja Servais, who assisted greatly with the editing process.
ERNST HOMBURG
ANTHONY S. TRAVIS
HARM G. SCHROTER
INTRODUCTION
Ernst Homburg and Anthony S. Travis
]t is almost half a century since historians began to identify the period 1850-1914
as one in which there was, for the first time, a highly productive convergence of
science with technology, particularly in Western Europe. That period soon became
known in the literature as the Second Industrial Revolution. It was characterised by:
(1) Clusters of novel innovations as the core of a new phase of sustained economic
growth; (2) The emergence of science-based industrial capitalism, with its hier
archically organised large-scale corporations; and (3) The spread of the 'coal-and
iron' technologies of the First Industrial Revolution to peripheral countries
(Scandinavia, Russia, Italy, The Netherlands, etc.). Ultimately, railways, steel
manufacture, and, especially, the chemical and the electrical industries became the
dominant sectors of the Second Industrial Revolution.
This volume is devoted to the various European chemical industries that
flourished, and even sometimes failed, during the 1850-1914 period. The emphasis
is on the new clusters of innovations, such as synthetic, or artificial, dyestuffs and
pharmaceuticals, the role of scientifically trained chemists in analytical work and
research, and their central roles within modern organisational structures such as the
corporate research laboratory, and the diffusion of chemical industry to Denmark,
Poland, Italy and Sweden.
How we view these developments today, however, requires an appreciation of
the context in which the concept of the Second Industrial Revolution was born. It
was much more than a mere consequence of the historian's obsession with periodis
ation of events that had taken place during the previous century. As a construction
of the 1950s, the concept of the Second Industrial Revolution was inevitably shaped
by the dreams and anxieties of that decade, in particular by the unlimited confidence
in science, and by strong memories of the 1929 Crash, as well as by Cold War
tensions. I Originally, the Second Industrial Revolution, by relating to scientific and
technological developments of the 1950s, was a 'mobilising concept', designed to
arouse awareness in the Western world to the social dangers of automation, and the
1 Cf. E. Homburg, 'De "Tweede lndustriele Revolutie." Een problematisch historisch
concept.' Theoretische Geschiedenis, 13 (1986), 367-385.
E. Homburg et al. (eds.),
The Chemical Industry in Europe. 1850-1914: Industrial Growth, Pollulion. and Professio1/Qliwlion, 1-6.
© 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers.