Die Erdrotation im Fokus: Die lokale und globale Institutionalisierung der planetaren Geodäsie im 19. Jahrhundert / The earth's rotation in focus: The local and global institutionalization of planetary geodesy in the 19th century

This study focuses on the development of Planetary Geodesy and the worldwide establishment of the first global research project in this field in the 19th century. By making use of the historical network analysis, approx. 400 scientists from all over the world mainly working in this field at this time could be identified and their work be evaluated. As a result, a "network star" the German astronomer and geodesist Carl Theodor Albrecht, was figured out. More than many of his colleagues, he dominantly drove and scientifically influenced the development of a global network of measuring stations that finally made possible a continuous recording of the earth rotation for the first time. Furthermore, the interconnectedness of individual actors around the "network star" Albrecht is visualized by different network graphs using engineering software.