Richard Assmann

The Aspiration Psychrometer, an instrument engineered to shield thermometric elements from solar radiation, provided the first reliable temperature measurements from high-altitude balloons. Developed by Richard Assmann between 1887 and 1892, this invention facilitated a transformation in atmospheric research, eventually leading to the identification of the stratosphere by the turn of the twentieth century.

Early Career and Education

Born in 1845 in Magdeburg, Assmann initially pursued a career in medicine. He obtained his medical doctorate in 1868 from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Following his studies, he served as a general practitioner in Bad Freienwalde from 1870 until 1879, at which point he returned to his birthplace of Magdeburg to continue his medical practice. His intellectual focus shifted toward the physical sciences, leading him to earn a doctorate in secondary studies from the Faculty of Philosophy at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in 1885.

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Advancement of Aerology

Assmann became a scientific officer at the Royal Meteorological Institute at Berlin-Grünau, marking his transition into professional meteorology. From 1888 to 1899, he held membership in the Verein zur Förderung der Luftschifffahrt, through which he coordinated scientific balloon ascents to analyze atmospheric stratification. His collaborative work with Rudolf Hans Bartsch von Sigsfeld and manufacturer Rudolf Fuess established new technical standards for field instrumentation. Between 1905 and 1914, he directed the Prussian Royal Aeronautical Observatory at Lindenberg before later accepting an honorary professorship at the University of Giessen.

Discovery of the Stratosphere

In 1902, Assmann published research detailing the existence of a warm air current at altitudes ranging from 10 to 15 kilometers. Simultaneously, Léon Teisserenc de Bort announced similar findings, and the two men are credited as co-discoverers of the stratosphere. This discovery necessitated a fundamental revision of existing models of the troposphere. His contributions to the field were recognized in 1903 when he and meteorologist Arthur Berson received the Buys Ballot Medal from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences.

Professional Impact and Publications

Beyond his empirical research, Assmann dedicated significant effort to the popularization of meteorology. From 1884 until his death in 1918, he published the monthly magazine Das Wetter. He also authored or co-edited several technical texts, including his 1892 guide to the aspiration psychrometer and the three-volume Scientific air trips, co-edited with Arthur Berson. He was a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Alte Breslauer Burschenschaft der Raczeks, as well as an honorary member of the Physics Association in Frankfurt am Main.