Georg Bredig

Georg Bredig (October 1, 1868, Glogau, Niederschlesien, Silesia Province – April 24, 1944, New York) was a German physical chemist.

Georg Bredig was son to Max Bredig who was a merchant in Glogau. The family was Jewish. In 1886, he began studying natural sciences at the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg. After only one term he moved to University of Berlin. There he heard about Wilhelm Ostwald (Leipzig University) and his research about physical chemistry. Fascinated by this branch of research he decided to move to University of Leipzig in autumn 1889 where he learned from Ostwald and did his doctorate in 1894. After working at the laboratory of J. H. van't Hoff in Amsterdam one year and thereafter in Paris with M. Berthelot and in Stockholm with S. Arrhenius he became assistant to W. Ostwald in autumn 1895.

In 1898 Bredig discovered that it is possible to make colloidal solutions of metals usable as catalysts and therefore can be called founder of catalytic research. With his work about the inorganic ferments how he called it according to biological enzymes he habilitated 1901 in Leipzig.

In 1901 Bredig married Rosa Fraenkel with whom he had two children, a son called Max Albert and a daughter called Marianne. In the same year he was appointed as associate professor at University of Heidelberg where he was the first professor for physical chemistry. At Heidelberg Bredig was able to do research on his own behalf which led to great progress in catalytic research. He also did his best in teaching and attracted many young, talented scientists from all over the world. In his time at Heidelberg Bredig was the first to selectively synthesize specific stereoisomer molecules. In 1910 Bredig was appointed as full professor at ETH Zurich.

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