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Fig. 4.11
Portrait of
Reinhard Mecke
(1895-1969).
Photo
Institute
for Physical Chemistry,
Universität Freiburg, with
permission
physics on the topic
Light Scattering Phenomena in Homogeneous Fog
. He joined
the physical institute at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn and
proceeded to study the field of molecular spectroscopy. Initially, he analysed elec-
tron band spectra of diatomic molecules and in 1923 he completed his habilitation
thesis. In 1927, he married one of his lady students. Their eight children in due
course have continued the scientific tradition of their parents. Mecke was the very
first person who accomplished the full analysis of the rotation-vibration spectrum
of an asymmetric top molecule [
69
]. Later, between 1930 and 1950, Mecke devel-
oped the concept of valence and deformation vibrations and the basic theoretical
concepts for analysing localized CH oscillators (for portrait see Fig.
4.11
).
Mecke accepted the position of Extraordinary Professor at the Ruprecht-Karls-
Universität Heidelberg (1932). His laboratory was located in the house in which
Bunsen and Kirchhoff had discovered spectral analysis in about 1860. In 1937,
Mecke became Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität
Freiburg, subsequently in 1942 Ordinarius of Physical Chemistry and director of
the Institute for Physical Chemistry. He turned to the field of quantitative spec-
troscopy and studied the association equilibria of hydroxylic compounds; he
determined the CH and OH bond dipole moments, and he tackled problems of
quantitative analysis and purity testing. In 1944, the institute was severely dam-
aged by bombs. Mecke continued research work to a limited extent in a small vil-
lage at the side of Lake Constance. The very first precursor meeting of the later
series of EUCMOS congresses (European Congress on Molecular Spectroscopy)
took place in Konstanz in 1947.
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