Heinrich Biltz - Life and Career

Life and Career

Heinrich Biltz was the son of Karl Friedrich Biltz who was a literary scholar and theatre critic His brother Wilhelm Biltz was also a noted chemist.

After his university entrance diploma at the Royal Grammar School (Königliches Wilhelm-Gymnasium) in Berlin in 1885 he firstly began studying chemistry in the Humboldt University of Berlin with August Wilhelm von Hofmann and later in the University of Göttingen with Victor Meyer. In the year 1888 he awarded his doctor in natural science with the continuation of the researches commenced by Victor Meyer on the molecular weight of substances at high temperatures. During this time he determined also the vapour density from Tin (II) chloride and Sulphur.

Since July 8, 1891 he firstly was professor of chemistry in the University of Greifswald and from 1897 succeeded as the Chair of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry in the University of Kiel and continued his research activities on the field of the determination of vapour density. In 1908 he also succeeded in the synthesis of Phenytoin, which was used 30 years later as an effective drug for the control of seizure disorders. From autumn 1911 until his retirement in 1933 he lectured in the newly-arranged Albert Ladenburg Institute of the University of Breslau (Wroclaw) with the main emphasis on chemical reactions of organic substances, especially the reactions of Acetylene and Autoxidation. He concentrated his further research activities on the chemistry of Uric Acid. He achieved and proved the complete oxidative degradation of Uric Acid with several oxidising agents.

His work was interrupted when he participated in World War I as reserve officer. After the war he took up his research activities considerably and from time to time in close co-operation with his younger brother Wilhelm Biltz, who was also professor of chemistry, and with further renowned chemists.

The German Chemical Industry established in 1925 the Heinrich-Biltz- Foundation which was destined to support highly skilled students. In honour of the merits of Heinrich Biltz, Walter Hückel issued an obituary in the journal Chemische Berichte and annexed a complete bibliography of his work.

He married Freya de la Motte Fouqué, a daughter of a physician in Kiel. This marriage remained childless.