Maxwell, Hertz, and German radio-wave history

Although early reports about electricity and magnetism date back before Christ, it took another 2000 years until in the eighteenth century, men like B. Franklin, A. Volta, C. Coulomb, L. Galvani, and many others studied more intensely electrostatic and magnetostatic effects. In contrast to mechanics, hydrodynamics, and astronomy, which belonged to the mathematics discipline, electricity and magnetism were usually investigated by physicians, pharmacists, priests, philosophers, chemists, and fascinated amateurs. However, at the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, researchers with mathematical backgrounds took over in France and later in Great Britain and Germany. Because of the many schools of thought and parallel developments in the nineteenth century, the authors first briefly mention the many evolutionary achievements made outside Germany before considering German contributions for the late eighteenth century to the early twentieth century.