Otto von Guericke

Born in Magdeburg in 1602, Otto von Guericke was a German scientist, inventor, and politician. He studied at several universities and later served his city in public office, becoming one of Magdeburg’s leading civic figures during a difficult period that included the devastation of the Thirty Years’ War.

He is remembered most for his experiments with air pressure and the vacuum. Using devices of his own design, he showed that empty space could be created and studied, and his demonstrations with the Magdeburg hemispheres became some of the best-known scientific spectacles of the age. He also built an early electrostatic generator, adding to his reputation as a practical and imaginative experimenter.

Von Guericke published his scientific work in Experimenta Nova, helping spread his ideas across Europe. Today he stands out as a figure who bridged science and public life: a mayor rebuilding his city, and an experimenter revealing how the physical world works.