Kegel, Karl

SUBJECT AREA: Mining and extraction technology

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b. 19 May 1876 Magdeburg, Germany

d. 5 March 1959 Freiberg, Saxony, Germany

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German professor of mining who established the mining of lignite as a discipline in the science of mining.

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Within the long tradition of celebrated teachers at the Mining Academy in Freiberg, Kegel can be considered as probably the last professor teaching the science of mining who was able to cover all the different disciplines. As was the case with a number of his predecessors, he was able to combine theoretical research work with the teaching of students and to support his theories with the practical experience of industry. He has apprenticed at the Mansfeld copper mines, went to the School of Mines at Eisleben (1896–8), worked as an engineer with various mining companies and thereafter became a scholar of the Berlin Mining Academy (1901–4). For twelve years he taught at the Bochum School of Mining until, in 1918, he was appointed Professor of Mining at Freiberg. There, one year later, as a new approach, he introduced lectures on brown-coal mining and mineral economics. He remained Professor at Freiberg until his first retirement in 1941, although he was active again between 1945 and 1951.

In 1924 Kegel took over a department at the State Research Institute for Brown Coal in Freiberg which he extended into the Institute for Briquetting. In this field his main achievement lies in the initially questioned theory that producing briquettes from lignite is a molecular process rather than the result of bituminous factors. This perception, among others, led Rammler to produce coke from lignite in 1951. Kegel's merits result from having established all the aspects of mining and using lignite as an independent subdiscipline of mining science, based on substantial theories and an innovative understanding of applied technologies.

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Bibliography

1912, Bergmännische Wasserwirtschaft, Halle (Saale). 1931, Lehrbuch der Bergwirtschaft, Berlin.

1941, Bergmännische Gebirgsmechanik, Halle (Saale). 1948, Brikettierung der Braunkohle, Halle (Saale).

1953, Lehrbuch des Braunkohlentagebaus, Halle (Saale).

Further Reading

E.Kroker, "Karl Kegel", Neue deutsche Biographie, Vol. XI, p. 394 (a reliable short account).

Bergakademie Freiberg (ed.), 1976, Karl Kegel 1876–1959. Festschrift aus Anlaß seines

100. Geburtstages, Leipzig (contains substantial biographical information).

WK