Friedrich Reinitzer

Friedrich Richard Reinitzer was an Austrian botanist and chemist. In late 1880s, experimenting with cholesteryl benzoate, he discovered properties of liquid crystals .

Reinitzer was born into a German Bohemian family in Prague. He studied chemistry at the German technical university in Prague in 1883 he was habilitated there as a private docent. From 18881901 he was a professor at KarlFerdinandsUniversitt, then professor at technical university in Graz. During 1909 1910 he served as the rector of the university.

Source: Wikipedia