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16ИСКУССТВОВЕДЕНИЕ
УДК 520.1
NATIONAL OBSERVATORY OF ATHENS -THE OLDEST RESEARCH FOUNDATION IN GREECE (1842), A MASTERPIECE OF CENTRAL-EUROPEAN NEOCLASSICISM
A. Prepis
alkisprepis@gmail.com
Democritus University of Thrace Komotini, Greece
Abstract. The National Observatory of Athens (NOA) is a research institute in Athens, Greece. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest research foundation in Greece, built after the end of independent war in 1829, and one of the oldest research institutes in Southern Europe. The first building, known as Sinas' building, was based on a project designed by the Danish architect Theophilus Hansen. The cross-like neoclassic building has its sides oriented toward the four directions of the horizon. There is a small dome for a telescope in the center of the construction. The building was completed in 1846. Theophilos Hansen's contribution was decisive, because he introduced into the indigenous classicism of its early development the aesthetic atmosphere of the late Central European classicism. One of the first telescopes of the Athens Observatory, known as the "Doridis Telescope", is now 220 years old. It was constructed in 1899 by Paul Ferdinand Gautier. Today the old building serves as a research facility housing the historic library and a museum of historical instruments.
Keywords: National Observatory of Athens, "Doridis Telescope", Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt, architect Theophilus Hansen, neoclassical architecture in Athens.
For citation: Prepis A. National observatory of Athens - the oldest research foundation in Greece (1842), a masterpiece of Central-European neoclassicism. Heritage and Modern Times. 2020;з(з):75-84.
The National Observatory of Athens (NOA) is a research institute in Athens, Greece. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest research foundation in Greece, as it was the first scientific research institute built after Greece became independent in 1829, and one of the oldest research institutes in Southern Europe.
© Prepis A., 2020
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1842: Foundation
Around 1840, the national benefactor, Baron Georgios Sinas, ambassador in Vienna, expressed his intention to make a donation for science development in Greece. He took advice from his friend, the Austrian ambassador in Athens Prokesh-Osten, who knew the Greek-Austrian physicist and astronomer Georg Constantin Bouris. Bouris became the first director of Athens Observatory, and was also involved in the construction of its first building.
The first building, known as Sinas' building, was based on a project presented by architect Eduard Schaubert1 [1], and designed by the Danish architect Theophilus Hansen. It was the first building of the later famous architect Hansen. The cross-like neoclassic building has its sides oriented toward the four directions of the horizon. There is a small dome for a telescope in the center of the construction. The building was completed in 1846 (Fig. 1).
1
Fig. 1. General view of the old Observatory building in Athens (1846)
Using the donation, Bouris ordered and installed the following instruments in the new building:
- 6.2" (158mm, f/15) refractor Ploessl;
- 3.7" meridian circle Starke-Fraunhofer;
- five small telescopes for comets;
- chronometers for civil and sidereal time;
- set of meteorological instruments.
1 Eduard Schaubert (1804-1860) was a Prussian architect. He studied in Breslau and at the Bauakademie in Berlin, where he was a pupil of Karl Friedrich Schinkel and studied alongside Stamatios Kleanthis. Schaubert and Kleanthis were among the pioneers of 19th century urban redevelopment in Greece after the Greek War of Independence. In 1931 they produced a highly detailed topographical plan of Athens' ancient ruins, Byzantine churches and the buildings of the old city, which became the foundation of the building of a modern capital for the new Kingdom of Greece. Although the plan was modified, such as by Leo von Klenze (1784-1864), architect to Ludwig I of Bavaria, its key points were implemented and it later served as a model for other cities in Greece. In 1836 Schaubert and Hans Christian Hansen restored the Temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis, under the direction of the archaeologist Ludwig Ross.
The Observatory of Athens foundation ceremony on 26 June 1842, the day of a Solar Eclipse, was a magnificent official event. Present were the King of Greece Otto, members of the Government and of the Greek Church. A large crowd of people fills up the vicinity of the place selected for the Observatory, a location on the hill of Nymphs at Thiseio, facing the Acropolis.
1858-1884: The "classical" period of J. Schmidt
Utilizing the Sinas' family donation, Johann Friedrich Julius Schmidt, the new director of Athens Observatory, took care of the instruments' repairing and maintenance. Soon he started to observe the sun, moon, planets, comets and variable stars. He enriched the Observatory's library with many scientific books and journals. Schmidt also started the editing of Publications of the Observatory of Athens.
During the 25 years of his work in the Athens Observatory, he performed more than 70,000 observations of variable stars and discovered few periodic variables and two Novae stars. Most of the results were published in the journal Astronomische Nachrichten.
For many years, J. Schmidt studied the planets Mars and Jupiter and drew the changes on their surfaces. He observed the bright comet of the 1860 and two years later discovered a periodic comet. The clear sky allowed him to make thousand observations of meteors. He also had the opportunity to observe a number of Solar eclipses and many eclipses of Moon.
The Topographical Chart of the Moon (Chaptre der Gebirge des Mondes) published in Berlin, is perhaps his most brilliant work. In an area of two meters diameter, consisting of 25 parts and representing the visible surface of the Moon, there are drawn about 30,000 craters as observed with the 158 mm Ploessl telescope. Significant is also his study of the crater Linne showing apparent morphological changes.
Julius Schmidt reorganized the meteorological service of the Observatory of Athens. He performed meteorological observations in many places in Greece and regularly sent data to the Observatory of Paris. These results are presented in his work "Beiträge zur physikalischen Geographie von Griechenland" (1864).
Very significant was his interest in the field of seismology. With the help of volunteers, he recorded more than 3,000 earthquakes and published his "Studien über Erdbeben" (1975). So well, few years he observed the Santorini volcano, since the eruption in 1866, and published the study of this and of three other volcanos (Etna, Vesuvius, Stromboli) in 1874.
Julius Schmidt made some journeys with the aim of geographical studies and performed archeological investigations to discover the ancient Troy.
1890-1934: The Observatory's "renaissance" under D. Eginitis
With a special law of the Greek Parliament on June 19, 1890, the Athens Observatory became a governmental research center and its name was changed to National Observatory of Athens. Demetrios Eginitis (Fig. 2) was appointed Director of the NOA. In addition to the Astronomical Institute, two others were created, the Meteorological and the Seismological Institutes.
Eginitis' very first care was to find funds and donations. He got a credit from the University and performed a restoration of the observatory building and of its old instruments. Eginitis organized a national committee, that in a few years succeeded in collecting a considerable sum from fellow Greeks. With the collected funds, the Thiseio site of the Observatory was expanded, a neighboring area was bought and three new buildings were erected. New instruments were ordered and installed at NOA, a 16 cm meridian circle and a 40 cm refractor. Another telescope, a 20 cm reflector was donated by K. Ionidis.
Eginitis reorganized the meteorological net, adding about a hundred new stations and creating a seismological service. He, also, played a significant role in the political and academic life in Greece. He was the founder of the Academy of Athens in 1926. His contribution in accepting the World Time Zone system and the Gregorian Style calendar in Greece was also substantial.
Fig. 2. Demetrios Eginitis (5th Director) and the Doridis historical telescope (1899)
1935-1964: The astrophysics in NOA - S. Plakidis
In 1935 Professor Stavros Plakidis, a well-known astronomer was nominated Supervisor of the Astronomical Department of NOA. Plakidis made many efforts to move the observations far from the city center. In 1936 the beginning of the Astronomical Station Penteli was set. After World War II the new 63 cm telescope in Penteli started, used extensively by the astronomers of the Institute.
Currently NOA has the following three institutes:
- Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing;
- Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development;
- Institute of Geodynamics.
Premises
The National Observatory of Athens operates in four locations:
- The central premises of the National Observatory of Athens are situated at the historic site on top of Hill of the Nymphs at Thiseio, opposite to the Acropolis and the Athenian Agora. They house the central administration as well as the Institute of Geodynamics.
- The Penteli Astronomical Station is situated on a hill, at the northern suburbs of Athens. It is best known as the site of the historic 62.5 cm Newall refractor, which was installed there in 1959, and it is now used for public outreach. The Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing as well as the Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development as now located in these premises.
- The Kryoneri Astronomical Station, established in 1972 in Northern Peloponnese, on the top of mountain Kilini at an altitude of 930 m. It is equipped with a 1.2 m Cassegrain reflector telescope, manufactured and installed in 1975 by the British company Grubb Parsons Co., Newcastle. It is one of the largest telescopes in Greece, with many successful scientific observations. Currently, the telescope is being upgraded in the framework of the ESA program NELIOTA, which will monitor the lunar surface for impacts of meteoroids.
- Chelmos Observatory, which is the site of the Aristarchus 2.3 m Telescope, operated by the Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications and Remote Sensing.
NOA telescopes
One of the first telescopes of the Athens Observatory, known as the "Doridis Telescope", is now 220 years old. It was constructed in 1899 by Paul
Ferdinand Gautier2 [2]. It is a binocular telescope with a 40 cm lens and a focal length of 5.08 meters. It is settled in Thiseio's building, where it still operates today, and was named after his great donor, of Greek diaspora.
The Doridis Telescope was the largest telescope in Greece until 1959, when the large Newall binocular telescope was installed on Penteli mountain in a new 14-meter dome building. This telescope weighs 9 tons, has a length of about 9 meters and a lens of 62.5 cm. When it was first built in the early 1870s it was the largest telescope in the world. Today this telescope is used for educational and demonstration purposes only.
Since 2007, however, the scientific study of the sky in Greece has experienced a new boom with the installation of the "Aristarchus telescope" at the top of Chelmos (at an altitude of 2,453 meters)! This new telescope is the largest telescope in our country with a diameter of 2.30 meters and a height of 8.40 meters and a total weight of 34 tons, while it has the ability to make observations remotely from Athens. It is named after the great astronomer of antiquity, Aristarchus of Samos (310-230 BC) who first proposed the solar system 1,800 years before Copernicus.
The architecture of the old Observatory building in Athens
European neoclassical architecture arrives in Greece with its independence in 1830 and the coming of the Bavarian king Otto. The constant presence of many Bavarian technicians and the call of various Europeans, mainly German architects, to entrust them with large public and private projects have been decisive in the direction that architecture has developed in Greece, influenced by the romantic classicism of Central Europe.
Baron Theophilus Edward von Hansen (1813-1891) was a Danish architect, who later became an Austrian citizen. After training with Prussian architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, he moved to Athens in 1837, where he designed his first building, the National Observatory of Athens and two of the three contiguous buildings forming the so-called "classical trilogy", namely the Academy of Athens and the National Library of Greece, the third building of the trilogy being the National and Capodistrian University of Athens, designed by his brother Christian Hansen.
Later Hansen moved to Vienna. In his early works there, such as the Museum at the Arsenal, Hansen was still rather aligned to a more romantic style. In later years, he became the most outstanding representative of Renaissance-inspired historicism, which came to be known as Viennese-style.
2
Paul Ferdinand Gautier (1842-1909) worked firstly at French copper industrialist Secrétan and in 1866 at Wilhem Eichens and in 1876 he established his own affair near the Observatoire de Paris. In 1880 became Eichens' partner and finally bought the firm in 1881. He made most of the astrographers for the "Carte du Ciel" international astronomical programme and most of the big instruments of French Observatories. He constructed important refracting equatorial telescopes, "coudés" and Foucault telescopes, meridian telescopes for the Observatories of France, Austria, Greece, Holland, Vatican, Spain, Argentina and Brazil. His instruments were famous for the quality and precision.
Along with Förster and many others, Hansen was one of the most important and influential architects of the Viennese Ringstrasse. His most famous work is the Austrian Parliament building, which was created in the style of an ancient, neo-classic temple, and serves to refer to the Greek beginnings of democracy. Hansen's famed Musicverein in Vienna is one of the most notable concert halls in the world.
The old Observatory building in Athens is located southwest of the Acropolis and west of Philopappos Hill, Pnyx and the Supreme Pagos, amid a series of historical monuments and sites. It was the first observatory of Greece and the building is a representative sample of the architectural history of the new-Greek monuments, considering as one of the only patterns for the Athenian neoclassical architecture.
The plan of Sinas' Building is in the shape of a cross, arranged in the four points of the horizon. The long side is 26.25 x 6.60 m, while the small is 17.35 x 6.60 m. At the intersection of the two axes, a square tower rises with the staircase connecting the ground floor with the rotary dome, where the old telescope was housed.
The walls of the facades have been broken down into columns in order to obtain strong plasticity and in addition to emphasize the vertical articulation of the openings. The denser rhythmic elements in the middle part of the façade - intermediate pilasters in the apertures, formation of a single entablature, gable crown - contribute formulate a "classic" aperture. Plasticity is also emphasized by varying the "depth" tone of the tympanum on the pediment and also on the spacing between the pilasters.
Its hemispherical dome (the telescope dome) indicates with great boldness - for Greek standards - its renaissance roots in demonstrating the creative assimilation of Bavarian neoclassicism. In this respect, Theophilos Hansen' contribution was decisive because he introduced into the indigenous classicism of its early development the aesthetic atmosphere of the late Central European classicism. As a result, the shape of this dome became the model for 19th century private villas in Athens.
According to Hansen's plans, the stonework of the walls comes from limestone excavations carried out on the Nymph's Hill during the construction of the building. The corners, the pedestals, the pilasters, the architraves are of deep blue marble of Mount Hymettus. The rest of the project is white, Pentelic marble: these include the architrave, the capitals, the acroteria, the cornices, the entire circular base on which the dome rests, the vases that are on the corners of the roof like chimneys, the doorways, the two capillary lamps on either side of the main entrance (which are the artwork of sculptor Siegel from Hamburg), and the coat of arms of the benefactor which is placed on the pediment of the Observatory facade, in the center of a sculpture composition.
The lightness of the volume, the simplicity of the composition and the fine proportions make the building so calm that Theophilus Hansen wrote on the architrave only of this work the apothegm: "SERVARE INTAMINATUM" (must keep untainted).
The marble frame of the main entrance was also colorful, in the example of the doors of the Parthenon, Erechtheion and other monuments. All construction work was done by Greek craftsmen, except for the dome, which was built by German blacksmith Moschner.
Hansen gives us useful information in his notes on the building. It states inter alia:
"a) White and black marble of Tinos island was placed on the floor of the porch.
b) The dome was made of wrought iron and coated with copper.
c) The stars on the dome were gilded with a real gold leaf to be visible on the dark copper background.
d) The roofing on the sides of the wings is made of tin to preserve the appearance of the ancient Greek roofs.
e) The structure of the Observatory is colorful, but harmonious throughout, because the main color tone is white Pentelic marble.
f) The exterior walls are decorated with Greek style painting [= inspired by the ancient Greek pottery] and represent the ancient astronomers Plato, Meton, etc. The impression given by these representations is the yellow sections of marble on a black background. The lower parts of the images are highlighted in red marble."
These paintings were spread on the surfaces between the pillars. The twelve Olympian gods were painted similarly on equal numbers between the pillars on which the dome rests. Unfortunately, after World War II, and during the Civil War, the Observatory area was transformed into a battlefield and buildings were severely damaged, while these representations were destroyed.
The previous renovation of the building was done in 1974. There were major damage to the coatings, marble surfaces, floors, frames and roofs. The aim of the new conservation and restoration intervention was to replace many of the worn-out materials with new ones, and to restore the artistic decoration, both sculpture and painting. Newer coatings were removed, metallic on the roof and wooden on the dome and cabinets. All the neoclassical wooden furniture of the library was repaired. The entire inner dome of the dome was repainted and all neoclassical motifs were faithfully rendered.
Today the building serves as a research facility housing the historic library and a museum of historical instruments.
The Geo-astrophysical Museum
The Museum of Geo-astrophysics was created on the site of the National Observatory and includes some of the rarest instruments that either set time or perform astronomical, geodetic, meteorological and seismologi-cal measurements. In addition to the large 19th-century telescopes, smaller ones are also exhibited, such as the 1798 "Borda Circle" used by the French Cartographic Society for the "mapping of the Aegean in 1810," and instruments that really remained in history, such as meteorological, autographs and 19th century seismological instruments. Also exhibited is one of the first ozone meters in Athens, built in 1880, and of course the important map of the Seminole Moon.
References
1. Hansen Theophil, Die Freiherrlicht von Sinasische Sternwarte bei Athen, in: Allgemeine Bauzeitung, 1846.
2. AnßoadevonovXov EkniviKtf, Öffentliche Bauten unter Könnig Otto im Athen (dissertation).
3. KvpiaZpnovXoç BaaiXeioç, H Aarpovo^la Kai n MerewpoÀoYÏa eiç rnv EÀÀàSa eni rnç ßaoiAelag rou 'Oöwva, Aö^va, 1969.
4. Aaioç Гешруюд, To AarepoaKoneio Aönvwv (avèrôora ¿YYpa9a), Aö^va, 1962.
5. AaioçГешруюд, Si^wv Sivaç, екб. AraSn^iaç Aönvwv, Aö^va, 1972.
6. Mnipnç Mavoç - Kap5a^ÎTon-A5à^n Màpw, NeoKÀaaiK^ ap/vreKToviK^ arnv EÀÀàSa, екб. MèÀiaaa, Aö^va, 2001.
7. TaiÀèvqÇ Zaßßaq, To Kripio Siva rou Eövikoü AarepoaKoneiou Aönvwv, in: SÙYXPOvn EÀÀnviK^ Ap/ireKToviK^ 5, Aiarnpnrea: AnoKaràaraan - Enavà/pnan Kripiwv, eK6. MaÀÀiàpnç, Aö^va, 2003.
8. Ф^хлл'Зщ «NeoKÀaaaiK^ ap/ireKroviK^. 'Eva ^èÀÀov Yia ro napeXööv ^aç», Iaropia rou Nèou EÀÀnvia^où 1770-2000, r.4oç: To EÀÀnviKÔ Kpàroç, 1833-1871, eK6. EÀÀnviKa rpà^ara, Aö^va 2003.
АФИНСКАЯ НАЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ ОБСЕРВАТОРИЯ - СТАРЕЙШЕЕ ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ ГРЕЦИИ (1842), ШЕДЕВР ЦЕНТРАЛЬНО-ЕВРОПЕЙСКОГО НЕОКЛАССИЦИЗМА
А. Препис
alkisprepis@gmail.com
Фракийский университет имени Демокрита Комотини, Греция
Аннотация. Афинская национальная обсерватория (NOA) — это научно-исследовательский институт в Афинах, Греция. Основанный в 1842 году, он является старейшим исследовательским учреждением Греции, построенным после окончания войны за независимость в 1829 году, и одним из старейших исследовательских институтов Южной Европы. Первое здание, известное как здание Сина-са, было построено по проекту датского архитектора Теофила Хансена. Это крестообразное неоклассическое здание, его стороны ориентированы по четырем сторонам света. В центре сооружения находится небольшой купол для телескопа. Строительство было завершено в 1846 году. Вклад Теофилоса Хансена был решающим, так как он ввел классицизм ранней стадии его развития эстетическую атмосферу позднеевропейского классицизма. Одному из первых телескопов Афинской обсерватории, известному как «телескоп Доридиса», сейчас 220 лет. Он был постро-
ен в 1899 году Паулем Фердинандом Готье. В наши дни старое здание используется для исследовательских нужд, в нем размещаются историческая библиотека и музей исторических инструментов.
Ключевые слова: Афинская национальная обсерватория, «телескоп Дори-диса», Иоганн Фридрих Юлиус Шмидт, архитектор Теофил Хансен, неоклассическая архитектура в Афинах.
Для цитирования: Препис А. Афинская национальная обсерватория - старейшее исследовательское учреждение Греции (1842), шедевр центрально-европейского неоклассицизма. Наследие и современность. 2020;з(з):75-84. (In English)
Сведения об авторе
Author of the publication
Препис Алкивиадис, доктор, профессор Фракийского университета имени Демокрита (Греция), член комитета ИКОМОС, почетный профессор Казанского Государственного архитектурно -строительного университета, Греция. E-mail: alkisprepis@gmail.com
Alkiviadis Prepis, Professor. Dr., Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, ICOMOS panel member, Professor Hon. KSUAE, Greece. E-mail: alkisprepis@gmail.com
Принято к публикации 02.02.2020
