KONIG, KARL RUDOLPH (183 2-1901), German physi cist, was born at Konigsberg (Prussia) on Nov. 26, 1832, and studied at the university of his native town. About 1852 he went to Paris. The instruments for which his name is best known are tuning-forks, which speedily gained a high reputation among physicists for their accuracy and general excellence. From this business Konig derived his livelihood. Acoustical research was his real interest, and to that he devoted his spare time and money. Konig was the inventor and constructor of many beautiful pieces of apparatus for the investigation of acoustical problems, among which may be mentioned his wave-sirens, the first of which was shown at Philadelphia in 1876, and of a tonometric apparatus consisting of a large number of accurate tuning forks. His original work dealt, among other things, with Wheatstone's sound-figures, the characteristic notes of the different vowels. He died in Paris on Oct. 2, 1901,.
KoNIGSBERG (Polish Krolewiec), capital of the province of East Prussia and a garrison town. Pop. (1933) 315,651 (in cluding the incorporated suburbs). It is situated on rising ground, on both sides of the Pregel, 4-1m. from its mouth in the Frische Haff, 397m. N.E. of Berlin, on the railway to Eydtkuhnen and at the junction of lines to Pillau, Labiau and Kranz.
The Altstadt of Konigsberg grew up around the castle built in 1255 by the Teutonic order. Its first site was near the fishing village of Steindamm, but after its destruction by the Prussians in 1263 it was rebuilt in its present position. It received civic privileges in 1286, the two other parts of the present town Lobenicht and Kneiphof—receiving them a few years later, but they were not united until 1724. In 134o Konigsberg entered the Hanseatic league. From 1457 it was the residence of the grand master of the Teutonic order, and from 1525 till 1618 of the dukes of Prussia. The trade of Konigsberg was much hindered by the constant shifting and silting up of the channels leading to its harbour; and the great northern wars did it immense harm, but before the end of the 17th century it had almost recovered.
The Pregel flows through the town in two branches between which lies the island of Kneiphof. Its greatest breadth within the town is from 8o to 9oyd., and it is usually frozen from November to March. Among the more interesting buildings are the Schloss, a long rectangle begun in 1255 and added to later, with a Gothic tower 277ft. high and a chapel built in 1592; and the cathedral, begun in 1333 and restored in 1856, a Gothic building with a tower 164ft. high, adjoining which is the tomb of Kant.
The north-west side of the parade-ground is occupied by the new university buildings, completed in 1865. The university (Col legium Albertinum) was founded in 1544 by Albert I., duke of Prussia, as a "purely Lutheran" place of learning. It possesses a famous observatory, established in 1811. Among its famous pro fessors have been Kant (who was born here in 1724 and to whom a monument was erected in 1864), J. G. von Herder, Bessel, F. Neumann and J. F. Herbart.
Konigsberg has been an important naval and military fortress and the protected position of its harbour has made it a very im portant commercial city. A channel has been made between it and its port, Pillau, 29m. distant, on the outer side of the Frische Haff, so as to admit vessels drawing loft. of water right up to the quays of Konigsberg, and this canal is now being deepened to 26 feet. Among the industries of Konigsberg are ship building, printing works and manufactures of machinery, locomotives, carriages, chemicals, cork, sugar, beer, tobacco and cigars, pianos and espe cially amber wares. The principal exports are cereals and flour, cattle, horses, hemp, flax, timber, sugar, bristles, hides and oilcake. It imports coal, phosphates and steel goods. It is a centre for canal and air traffic and every spring and autumn an industrial fair is held here.