(Born: Teutschental near Halle, Germany, 8 June 1851; Died: Friedrichsroda, Germany, 6 September 1910) German mineralogist.

Luedecke (or Lüdecke) studied at Halle and Strasbourg. In 1876, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Halle, where from 1884, he was professor extraordinary in mineralogy.

Biographical references: Barr, Index to Biographical Fragments, 1973: 161. • DBA: II 837, 69-75; 843, 43. • Lambrecht & Quenstedt, Catalogus, 1938: 271. • Poggendorff: 3, 841-2, 4, 921-2 & 5, 774. • WBI.

1. German, 1896.
Die | Minerale Des Harzes | [rule] | Eine Auf Fremden Und Eigenen Beobachtungen | Beruhende Zusammenstellung Der Von Unserem Heimischen Gebirge | Bekannt Gewordenen | Minerale Und Gesteinsarten | von | Dr. Otto Luedecke | A.O. Professor Der Mineralogie An Der Universität In Halle A.S. | [short rule] | Mit Einem Atlas Von 27 Tafeln Und 1 Karte | [ornate rule] | Berlin | Verlag Von Gebrüder Borntraeger | 1896.

Text and atlas. [Text] 8°: [i]-xii, [1]-643, [1] p.; [Atlas] 8°: [2] p., 27 plates, folding map.

Contents: [Text] [i-ii], Half title page, "Dr. Otto Luedecke, | Die Minerale Des Harzes," verso blank.; [iii-iv], Title page, verso blank.; [v], Dedication to Karl August Lossen.; [vi], Blank.; [vii]-viii, "Vorwort."-dated July 1896.; [ix]-xii, "Inhaltsverszeichniss."; [1]-609, Text.; [610]-643, Indexes including authors (p. 610-615), subjects (p. 615-624), and localities (p. 624-641).; [1 pg], Printer's information.

[Atlas] [2 pgs], Title page, verso blank.; 27 plates.; One map.

Very scarce. One of the great topographical mineralogies, Die Minerale des Harzes attempts to give a complete mineralogical description of the Harz mountains of Germany, which has for centuries provided many remarkable mineral specimens. Beginning around 1880, Lüdecke devoted himself to his project, using not only his own extensive reference collection, but a number of other public and private ones as well; thus the amount of study material at the authors disposal was very large. Besides his own competent observations, the author gives a summary of earlier literature and work of other mineralogists. The book becomes, therefore, a complete series of monographs covering the important mineral localities of the region. Arrangement of the species is by a chemical classification, with detailed discussion of crystallization, occurance, and mineral associations. In the case of common species, such as galena, a greater geological description of the particular regions involved is given. The plates show figures of the notable species together with their spherical projections. A chart of the region showing the mineral viens is added as are detailed ones for Andreasberg and Clausthal.

Bibliographical references: American Journal of Science: 4th Series, 2 (1896), 460-1. • Dana's 7th (Bibliography): 76.

.