Johannes Wislicenus, Chemist

* 24. June 1835 in Kleineichstädt
† 5. December 1902 in Leipzig

Wislicenus began his studies in Halle (Saale) and Zurich in 1853, but then emigrated to the USA with his father due to political reasons. There he worked in Cambridge and New York. He returned to Germany in 1856, gained his doctorate in 1860 and stayed in Zurich until 1872 when he was appointed to Würzburg. He taught there until 1885 and then went to Leipzig where he stayed until he died. He was the first one to successfully produce ethyl acetoacetate. Furthermore, he introduced the term of geometric isomerism.

His home was the former Institute of Chemistry at Maxstraße 4.