(Born: Braunschweig, Germany, 29 June 1801; Died: Dresden, Germany, 14 January 1869) German physicist & crystallographer.

Frankenheim began his teaching career when he was appointed associate professor at the University of Breslau [now Wroclaw, Poland??] in 1827. From 1850 to 1866 he was professor of physics and director of the physics cabinet at that same institution. Frankenheim was a pioneer crystallographer who was the first to show in 1826 that spatial lattices were not only geometrically possible but were confined to 32 configurations, thus anticipating Auguste Bravais [q.v.] who is normally credited with the discovery. He also opposed J.N. von Fuch's [q.v.] theory of amorphy with one of aggregates of invisible crystals (important in the theory of colloids).

Biographical references: Burckhardt, J.J., "Die Entdeckung der 32 Kristallklassen durch M.L. Frankenheim im Jahre 1826", Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte, 31, (1984), 481ff. • Burckhardt, Symmetrie der Kristalle, 1988: 34-37 & 48-52, portrait. • DBA: I 339, 191-192; II 391, 94-99. • DSB: 5, 124. • Ferchl. • Groth, Entwicklungsgeschichte, 1926: 111 & 247. • Jewish Biographical Archive: 250, 262-263 / S40, 243. • NDB: 5, 350 [by K.-F. Seifert]. • Poggendorff: 1, col. 792 & 3, 469-70. • WBI. • World Who's Who in Science: 599.

1. German, 1829.
De Crystallorum cohæsione dissertationem scripsit et ... defendet M.L. Frankenheim. Socio adsumpto F.W. Hagen. Vratislaviæ, 1829.

4°: 45 p.

Very rare. An important study on the hardness of crystals. Frankenheim reports in this dissertation his recognition of a relationship between the symmetry of a crystal and its hardness.

Bibliographical references: BMC: 2, 612.

Die Lehre von der Cohäsion, 1835

2. German, 1835.
Die Lehre | von der | Cohäsion, | umfassend | die Elasticität der Gase, die Elasticität und | Cohärenz der flüssigen und selten Körper | und die Krystallkunde, | nebst | vielen neuen Tabellen über all Theile der Cohäsionslehre, | in's besondere über die Elasticität und die Festigkeit. | [rule] | Von | M.L. Frankenheim, | außero:dentischem Professor an der Universtität von Breslau. | [ornate rule] | Breslau, | bei August Schulz und Comp. | 1835.

8°: π⁵ 1-31⁸ 32⁴; 256l.; [4], [i]-vi, [1]-502 p., tables.

Contents: [2 pgs], Title page, verso "Gedruck bei Leopold Freund."; [1 pg], "Dedication to Stein von Altenstein."; [1 pg], Blank.; [i]-iv, "Vorrede."; v-vi, "Inhaltsanzeige."; [1]-502, Text.

Very scarce. A pioneering study in material science. This work concerns the cohaesion of substances and therefore includes a great deal of information on the hardness of minerals as it relates to the crystal structure. Also contained throughout the text are bibliographical references. "Frankenheim's importance lies especially in the field of crystallography. In his work Die Lehre von der Cohäsion he was the first to examine whether or not the geometrically possible types of cristal lattices agree in their symmetry relations with those actually observed in crystals" (DSB).

Bibliographical references: BL [538.b.18.]. • BMC: 2, 612. • Lima-de-Faria, Historical Atlas of Crystallography, 1990 [reproduces the title page]. • NUC: 183, 19 [NF 0336563]. • Roller & Goodman, Catalogue, 1976: 1, 417.

3. German, 1842.
System Der Krystalle. | Ein Versuch | Von | M.L. Frankenheim, | M.d.A.d.N. | Professor An Der Universität Von Breslau. | [double rule] | Besonderer Abdruck as der 2ten Abtheilund des 19ten Bandes der Nova Acta Acad. Nat. Cur. | [double rule] | Breslau | Druck Von Grass, Barth Und Comp. | [rule] | 1842.

4°: [1]-191, [1] p. Page size: 285 x 214 mm.

Contents: [1-2], Title page, verso blank.; [3]-191, Text.; [1 pg], "Zusätze und Verbesserungen."

Very scarce. The introduction covers various details about the physical properties of minerals, such as specific gravity, hardness and crystallography. This work is based partly on Mohs Handbuch der Mineralogie (??, 18??). After the introduction, the characteristics of crystals are discussed followed by a detailed discussion of the six crystal systems, I. Tessular, II. Tetragonale, III. Hexagonale, IV. Isoclinic, V. Monoclinic and VI. Triclinic. The impact of isomorphism and diamorphism to crystal structure in minerals is then described. A section giving the chemical formulas of the minerals mentioned and a comprehensive index to the names of minerals mentioned closes the work.

Bibliographical references: BL [7105.ee.32.]. • NUC: 183, 19 [NF 0336566].

4. German, 1851.
Krystallisation und Amorphie. Breslau, L. Freud, 1851.

8°: [2], 42 p.Very scarce.

Bibliographical references: BMC: 2, 612. • NUC: 183, 19 [NF 0336562].

5. German, 1869.
Zur Krystallkunde ... Band I. Charakteristik der Krystalle. Leipzig, J.A. Barth, 1869.

8°: vi, 214 p., tables.

Very scarce. No more published.

Bibliographical references: BL [7106.bb.43]. • BMC: 2, 612. • NUC: 183, 19 [NF 0336569].

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