Conference “EcoBalt” (2013, Vilnius, LITHUANIA) is focused on the recent developments in the field of environmental, analytical and green chemistry. Why are you all here? I guess you care. About future. And a care about future will be succeseful only if you learn lessons of past well. And now I shall introduce you a man, who cared about future, who knew past very well and who loved chemistry with all his heart. And almost for all his life. Paul Walden (1863–1957) was a prominent chemist and historian of science, by origin – a Latvian and Russian, later he became a German citizen. He bacame popular for his works in stereochemistry. In particular he invented the stereochemical reaction known as Walden inversion and synthesized the first room-temperature ionic liquid, ethylammonium nitrate. Later in his life he devoted himself to the history of chemistry. In his historical surveys he applied scientometrics – a method measure of bibliographical data for science evaluation. It was in 1911 – first time in East Europe.

1. Paul Walden (1863–1957)
One Man’s Love to a Chemistry
Dr. Birutė Railienė
Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of
Sciences
“EcoBalt 2013” 25-27 October 2013, Vilnius .

2. Paul Walden (1863–1957) was a
prominent chemist and historian of
science, by origin – a Latvian and
Russian, later he became a German
citizen.

4. Riga Polytechnical School .
Here Paul Walden studied and worked untill 1900.

5. P. Walden and Wilhelm Ostwald, as colleagues and co-authors. Riga, 1887.

6. PhD thesis: “Materials to Study
Optical Isometrics”
St. Petersburg, 1898

7. Paul Walden. 1890

8. P. Walden and colleagues with Karl Adam Bishop (in the centre). 1890.

9. P. Valdens and colleagues at the Riga Polytechnical Institute. 1899.

10. Atmosphere for work and life

11. Paul Walden. 1933.

12. Paul Walden. Last years.

13. HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY

14. • First attempts to write a common history of
chemistry in Russia was suggested by Russian
chemist N. A. Bunge in 1893, but the address
was not heard by chemical community. In
1911, during the meeting of all Russia
chemists (Medeleevs meeting), P. Walden
gave a very enthusiastic and earnest speech:
„On Development of Chemistry in Russia“.

15. Lections on the Development
of Chemistry (...) by A.
Ladenburg ;
Essay on History of
Chemistry in Russia by Paul
Walden. Odessa, 1917

16. • The evident highlight of the paper was a
scientometrical approach to the vast
bibliographical information of history of
chemistry. Country input to the development
of chemistry was based on analysis of 6
historical works on chemistry, including his
own. In the survey names of 113 Russian
chemists were selected from the sources, and
the percentage was calculated:

19. Historical works on chemistry Names of
Russian
chemists
Names of
chemical
elements
Russian
contribut
ion to
chemistry
%
Menshutkin N. A. Essay on chemical views
(1888) in Russian
31 249 12,5
Meyer E. Geschichte der Chemie (1907) D 30 1047 2,9
Ladenburg A. Vorträge über dien
Entwickelungsgesichichte der Chemie
(1907) D
20 616 3,3
Darmstädter L. Handbuch zur geschichte
der naturwissenschaften und der Technik
(1908) D
55 - -
Hilditch T. P. A Concise history of
Chemistry (1911) UK
36 941 3,8
Walden P. Die Lösungstheorien in ihrer
geschichtlichen Aufeinanderfolgen (1910) R
31 425 7,3

20. The final address in his paper was to the new
generation. P. Walden earnestly encouraged
young chemists to take over the creative
legacy from the founders and the great ones
in chemistry. He emphasized the imperative to
learn the history of science – which gives a key
to future.

21. HERITAGE

22. Science and Life : selected
talks by Paul Walden.
Petrograd, 1922.

23. Every three years, starting in 1988, a Paul Walden medal has been awarded in
Chemistry and Science History (both beloved Walden’s scientific disciplines) by
the Riga Technical University. In 1997 Prof. Edwin Vedejs (Michigan State
University, USA) was awarded this medal, which was a starting point for
traditional Paul Walden Symposiums.

27. http://cen.acs.org/articles/91/i29/Latv
ia-Celebrates-Paul-Walden.html

28. Thank you.
Enjoy your stay in Vilnius