Drawing on historical sources, IART reconstructs how Regener's research developed on Lake Constance. The project examines his scientific work, the political and institutional conditions he worked under, and his significance for the history of science.
Ongoing
Erich Regener: Atmospheric Research on the Way to Space
The physicist Erich Regener was one of the pioneers of research into the upper atmosphere. Working from Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, he developed innovative measurement methods and instruments that laid important foundations for later extraterrestrial research.
Approach
Focus areas
- Founding and development of the Research Unit for the Physics of the Stratosphere in Friedrichshafen
- Regener's work on cosmic radiation and atmospheric physics
- Development of scientific instruments, including the "Regener barrel" (Regener-Tonne)
- Institutional and political framework of the research
- Links between civilian science and military research interests
- Legacy of his work in atmospheric and space research after 1945
To place Erich Regener and his research within the history of early spaceflight, and to show how closely scientific innovation, politics and society can be intertwined.
