Origins & Early Life

Germain Henri Hess (Russian: Герман Иванович Гесс, romanized: German Ivanovich Gess; 7 August 1802 – 12 December [O.S. 30 November] 1850) was a Swiss-Russian chemist and medical doctor who formulated Hess' law, an early principle of thermochemistry. Hess was born on 7 August 1802 in Geneva, France (Switzerland after 1815). His father was an artist and in 1805 moved the family to the Russian Empire to work as a tutor to a rich family.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His mother was a tutor as well and Hess learned German and French at home. In 1817, his family moved to Dorpat, Russian Empire (now Tartu, Estonia), where he went to a private school for two years, and then to Dorpat Gymnasium, which he finished in 1822. In autumn of the same year Hess studied medicine at the Imperial University of Dorpat. During that time, the chemistry department was responsible for the Chemistry courses of the Medicine and Pharmacy departments and Professor Gottfried W. Osann was giving the lectures in German (an obvious advantage for Hess).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Under Osann's supervision, Hess made chemical analyses, but also had an interest in the lectures of Professor of Physics Georges-Frédéric Parrot and Professor of Mineralogy...

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• 1802 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1802
• July 26 (07-26) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 26
• 1850 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1850
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