author
Johann Rudolf Glauber
1604–1670
A restless 17th-century experimenter, he helped move chemistry away from mystery and toward practical methods. He is best remembered for identifying sodium sulfate, later known as Glauber’s salt, and for developing ways to make important industrial acids.
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About the author
Born in Karlstadt am Main in 1604, Johann Rudolf Glauber became a German-Dutch alchemist, apothecary, and chemist whose work sat at the turning point between older alchemical traditions and modern chemical practice. He spent time in several European cities before settling in Amsterdam, where he built a reputation through chemical preparations, medicines, and technical writing.
Glauber is especially known for his work with mineral salts and acids. In 1625 he identified sodium sulfate, which later took the name Glauber’s salt, and he described practical methods for preparing substances such as hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric acids. Because he focused so strongly on useful processes and large-scale preparation, some historians describe him as an early chemical engineer.
He died in Amsterdam in 1670. Although many details of his life remain uncertain, his influence is clear: he helped turn chemistry into a more hands-on, experimental craft with real industrial importance.