HOFMANN, August Wilhelm von, Ger man chemist: b. Giessen, 8 April 1818; d. Ber lin, 5 May 1892. He studied law, obtained the degree of doctor of philosophy, became assistant under Liebig in the Giessen Laboratory, and in 1845 became professor of chemistry in the University of Bonn. The same year he was appointed superintendent of the new Royal Col lege of Chemistry in London, and in 1853 be came professor of chemistry in the Royal School of Mines, though still remaining at the head of the College of Chemistry. In 1861 he was elected president of the London Chemical So ciety, and in 1863 was appointed to the chair of chemistry in the University of Berlin, where he remained till his death. In 1864 he built a lab oratory at Bonn and became its director, and In 1868 founded the German Chemical Society. He was judge of several industrial expositions and was a member of many scientific societies, and for his valuable services was ennobled in 1888. A statue of him is in the National Gal lery of Berlin. Hofmann's researches contrib uted much to the development of the color industry and have revolutionized the art of dyeing. He investigated the organic bases of
coal-tar and discovered the amines. He dis covered a method of transforming acid amides into amines by means of bromine and caustic potash. This method is known as Hofmann's reaction. He also discovered aniline among the products of distilled bituminous coal and meth ods for the preparation of coloring substances from aniline. Entire departments of organic chemistry have developed from his researches and chemical theory in general has been greatly influenced by his work. He wrote 'A Handbook of Organic Analysis' (1853); 'Introduction to Modern Chemistry' (1865; and several later editions) : this work led to important reforms in methods of teaching chemistry; 'Zur Errin nerung an vorangegangene Freunde' (1889) ; 'The Life Work of Liebig in Experimental and Philosophic Chemistry' (1876), etc. Consult Volhard and Fischer, 'August Wilhelm von Hofmann: Ein Lebensbild, im Auftrage der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft' (Berlin 1902).