Europe is the cradle of the modem international chemical industry. From the middle of the nineteenth century until the outbreak of World War I, the European chemical industry influenced not only the production and control of science and technology, but also made significant contributions towards economic development, as well as bringing about profound changes in working and living enviromnents. It is a highly complex heritage, both rich and threatening, that calls for close scrutinity. Fortunately, a unique opportunity to explore the historical development of the European chemical industry from a variety of novel standpoints, was made possible during 1993 as part of the European Science Foundation (ESF) programme called 'The Evolution of Chemistry in Europe, 1789-1939.' This process of exploration has taken place through three workshops, each dealing with different time periods. The workshop concerned with the period 1850-1914, which corresponds roughly to the so-called Second Industrial Revolution, was held in Maastricht, The Netherlands, on 23-25 March 1995. This volume is the outcome of that workshop. The other workshops dealing with European chemical industry were held in Liege in 1994, covering the First Industrial Revolution period, 1789-1850, and Strasbourg in 1996, covering the period between the two World Wars.

Autorentext
Harm G. Schröter, Prof. Dr. phil., lehrt Geschichte an der Universität Bergen (Norwegen)

Inhalt

1. The Rise of the Swiss Chemical Industry Reconsidered.- 2. The Emergence of the Danish Chemical Industry: The Rôle Played by Chemists.- 3. The Italian Chemical Industry from 1861 to 1918.- 4. The Polish Chemical Industry: Isolated Developments in a Divided Country.- 5. Between Science and Industry: The Background and Formation of the Swedish Chemical Society during the 1880s.- 6. An Issue of Different Mentalities: National Approaches to the Development of the Chemical Industry in Britain and Germany before 1914.- 7. Pollution and Public Concern: The Response of the Chemical Industry in Britain to Emerging Environmental Issues, 18601901.- 8. Robert Angus Smith and the Alkali Inspectorate.- 9. Pollution and the Dutch Chemical Industry: The Turning Point of the 1850s.- 10. Pollution and the Chemical Industry: The Case of the German Dye Industry.- 11. Structural Locations for Chemists in the British Alkali Industry, 18501910.- 12. Temperature Control in the Chemical and Metallurgical Industries, 18701910.- 13. An Instrument of Corporate Strategy: The Central Research Laboratory at BASF 18681890.- 14. Heinrich Caro and Ivan Levinstein: Uniting the Colours of Ludwigshafen and Lancashire.- 15. Innovation in the German Pharmaceutical Industry, 1880 to 1920.- 16. Academic Research and Technological Innovation in Chemistry: The Case of Paul Schützenberger (18291897).- 17. Daniel August Rosenstiehl (18391916): An Alsatian Chemist in the Synthetic Dyestuffs Industry.- Notes on Contributors.