(Born: Kirchheim an der Teck, Germany, 5 February 1764; Died: Michelstadt, Schwaben, Germany, 13 March 1798) German mineralogist & mining expert.

Widenmann was the first general secretary of mining in Stuttgart. In 1790, he accepted a professorship of mining and mine engineering at the technical high school in Karlsruhe.

Biographical references: Baur, Allgemeines historisches Handwörterbuch, 1803. • DBA: I 1363, 281-283. • Hofrichter, J.K., "Alois Beck von Widmannstätten", Mittheilungen des historiscehn Vereins für Steiermark, 2, (1851), 144-50. • Meusel, Verstorbenen Teutschen Schrifsteller, 1802-16. • Neue Schrift. naturforscher Freunde in Berlin. • Poggendorff: 2, cols. 1314-5. • WBI.

1. German, 1792.
Ueber die Umwaldlung einer Erd- und Stein-Art in die andere. Eine Abhandlung, welche von der Königl. Akad. der Wissenschaften für das Jahr 1791, den Preis von einhundert Dukaten erhalten hat. Von Johann Friedrich Widemann [!], ... Auf Veranstaltung der Königlichen Akademie herausgegeben. Berlin: in der Königl. Preussl. Akademischen Kunst- und Buchhandlung, 1792.

8°: [4], 268 p.

Very scarce. This book, written in respose to the following question: "Die Umgänge und Uebergänge einer Erd- und Stein-Art in die andere betreffend?," won the prize of the Berlin Royal Academy for the year 1791. It is concerned with the correct classification of minerals by chemical means. It contains numerous commentaries on the work of Werner, Bergman, Kirwan, Cronstedt, Wiegleb, Scheele, and many others. It also contains an interesting discussion of the origins of basalt that defend Werner's theories.

Bibliographical references: Allgemeine Literatur-Zeitung: May, 1795, 259. • Freilich Sale Catalog: no. 557. • Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 247. • NUC: 662, 25 [NW 0279778]. • Ward & Carozzi, Geology Emerging, 1984: no. 2333.

Handbuch, 1794

2. German, 1794.
Handbuch | des oryktognostischen Theils | der | Mineralogie | von | Johann Friederich Wilhelm Widenmann | [...4 lines of titles and memberships...] | [tapered rule] | Multa sunt eadem, fed aliter. | [rule] | Mit einer Farbentabelle und einer Kupfertafel. | [rule] | Leipzig 1794 | bey Siegfried Lebrecht Crusius.

8°: *⁸ **⁸ A-3U⁸; 540l.; [i]-xiv, [10], [1]-1040, [16] p., 2 double page plates (one hand colored). Page size: 200 x 115 mm. Very scarce.

Contents: [i-ii], Title page, verso blank.; [iii], Dedication to the Ökonomischen Societät in Leipzig.; [iv], Blank.; [v]-xiv, "Vorrede."; [6 pgs], "Inhalt."; [4 pgs], "Erklärung der Kupfer."; [1]-1040, Text.; [15 pgs], "Register | über die diesem Werke enthaltenen Kunstwörter."; [1 pg], Blank.

Bibliographical references: Allgemeine Literatur-Zeitung: May, 1795, 225. • Beekman, Systematische Mineralogie, 1906: 168. • Cobres, Deliciæ Cobresianæ, 1782: 2, 699. • Fischer, Mineralogie in Sachsen, 1939: 304. • Gatterer, Mineralogischen Literatur, 1798-9: 1, 30. • LKG: XII 137. • NUC: 662, 25 [NW 0279776].

La Orictognósia, 1797

3. Spanish, 1797-8 [Spanish transl.].
La Orictognósia | Escrita En Aleman | Por D. Juan Federico Guillermo Widenmann, | [...5 lines of titles and memberships...] | Y Traducida | Por Don Christiano Herrgen, | Colector del Real Gabinete de Historia Natural. | Tomo I. [-II.] | De {�OD3;}rden Superior. | Madrid En La Imprenta Real. | Por D. Pedro Julian Pereyra, Impressor De Cámara De S.M. | Año De 1797 [-1798].

2 vols. [Vol 1] 8°: [12], 396 p.; [Vol 2] 8°: 466, [2] p., 2 plates (one handcolored).

Very scarce. Translation by Christiano Herrgen [see note below] from Handbuch des oryktognostischen Theils der Mineralogie (Leipzig, 1794). Encouraged by Andrés Manuel del Río's example, and with the anxious support of the government to diffuse mineralogical knowledge in Spain, Herrgen was commissioned to prepare a modern textbook of mineralogical science. For his foundation, he choose the prevailing theoretical framework of Werner, and the most thorough treatise so far published. Widenmann's Handbuch was prepared with annotations supplied by the translator. The manuscript was then given over to José Clavíjo Fajardo [??-??], Director of the Real Gabinete de Historia Natural (Royal Cabinet of Natural History) in Madrid, who reviewed it for style and correctness.

Bibliographical references: LKG: XII 138a. • Maffei & Rua Figuera, Bibliografía Mineral, 1871-2: 3, 256. • NUC: 662, 25 [NW 0279777].

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