Ernst Abbe

Ernst Karl Abbe was a German physicist, optical scientist, entrepreneur, and social reformer. Together with Otto Schott and Carl Zeiss, he laid the foundation of modern optics. Abbe developed numerous optical instruments. He was a coowner of Carl Zeiss AG, a German manufacturer of research microscopes, astronomical telescopes, planetariums and other optical systems.

Abbe was bornJanuary 1840 in Eisenach, SaxeWeimarEisenach, to Georg Adam Abbe and Elisabeth Christina Barchfeldt. He came from a humble home his father was a foreman in a spinnery. Supported by his fathers employer, Abbe was able to attend secondary school and to obtain the general qualification for university entrance with fairly good grades, at the Eisenach Gymnasium, which he graduated from in 1857. By the time he left school, his scientific talent and his strong will had already become obvious. Thus, in spite of the familys strained financial situation, his father decided to support Abbes studies at the Universities of Jena and Gttingen . During his time as a student, Abbe gave private lessons to improve his income. His fathers employer continued to fund him. Abbe was awarded his PhD in Gttingen onMarch 1861. While at school, he was influenced by Bernhard Riemann and Wilhelm Eduard Weber, who also happened to be one of the Gttingen seven. This was followed by two short as

Source: Wikipedia