# Wilhelm von Freeden

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German mathematician (1822–1894)

**Wilhelm Ihno Adolf von Freeden** (12 May 1822 [Norden](/source/Norden%2C_Lower_Saxony), [German Confederation](/source/German_Confederation) – 11 January 1894 [Bonn](/source/Bonn)) was a German [mathematician](/source/Mathematician) and expert on [navigation](/source/Navigation). He was the founder of the North German Naval Observatory. [Freeden Bank](/source/Freeden_Bank) bears his name.

## Biography

He was educated at the universities of [Bonn](/source/University_of_Bonn) and [Göttingen](/source/University_of_G%C3%B6ttingen). He was director of the school of navigation at [Elsfleth](/source/Elsfleth), [Oldenburg](/source/Grand_Duchy_of_Oldenburg), and later settled in [Hamburg](/source/Hamburg).

### North German Naval Observatory

In Hamburg, in 1867, he founded the private North German Naval Observatory (*Norddeutsche Seewarte*), which he directed until 1875 when it became the German Naval Observatory (*Deutsche Seewarte*), an agency of the [German Empire](/source/German_Empire). The purpose of the observatory was to promote and to facilitate maritime intercourse. It was composed of a department of maritime [meteorology](/source/Meteorology); a bureau of nautical, meteorological, and magnetic instruments; a department of coast meteorology and signal service; and a bureau for testing chronometers. In 1945, the tasks of the German Naval Observatory were turned over to the German Hydrographic Institute (*Deutsche Hydrographische Institut*), and in 1990 that agency in turn became part of the present day Federal Department of Shipping and Hydrography (*[Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie](/source/Bundesamt_f%C3%BCr_Seeschifffahrt_und_Hydrographie)*).

### Other activities

Freeden was a member of the [Reichstag](/source/Reichstag_(German_Empire)) from 1871 to 1876. He founded, with H. Tecklenborg-Bremen, a publication entitled *Hansa, Zeitschrift für Seewesen*, which he edited until 1891.

## Notes

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## References

- [Gilman, D. C.](/source/Daniel_Coit_Gilman); Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). ["Freeden, Wilhelm Ihno Adolf von"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_New_International_Encyclop%C3%A6dia/Freeden,_Wilhelm_Ihno_Adolf_von). *[New International Encyclopedia](/source/New_International_Encyclopedia)* (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.

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