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https://github.com/solaranamnesis/ottohahn

Public Domain works by Otto Hahn (1828–1904)
https://github.com/solaranamnesis/ottohahn

19th-century astronomy chondrite darwin english fossil-organisms geology german hahn-discovery meteorite microscope organism otto-hahn petrology science thin-section

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Public Domain works by Otto Hahn (1828–1904)

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# Book and Background

## Die Meteorit (Chondrit) und ihre Organismen (1880) by Dr. Otto Hahn (1828–1904)

### "The Meteorite (Chondrite) and its Organisms"



![Cover Photograph](https://cdn.solaranamnesis.com/OttoHahn/figures/meteorite_22-3_edit-b.jpg)



Attempt at a translation of Dr. Otto Hahn's 1880 book: "Die Meteorite (Chondrite) und ihre Organismen", from the original German to English, I welcome all pull requests of submitted translations and/or edits.



[English - Plain Text](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/ottohahn/blob/master/DIE-METEORITE-(CHONDRITE)-UND-IHRE-ORGANISMEN/full-text-english.md)  

[English - PDF](https://cdn.solaranamnesis.com/OttoHahn/otto_hahn_die_meteorite_und_ihre_organismen_english_PDFlaTex.pdf)   

[German - Plain Text](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/ottohahn/blob/master/DIE-METEORITE-(CHONDRITE)-UND-IHRE-ORGANISMEN/full-text-german.md)  

[German - PDF](https://cdn.solaranamnesis.com/OttoHahn/otto_hahn_die_meteorite_und_ihre_organismen_german_PDFlaTex.pdf) | [Fraktur](https://cdn.solaranamnesis.com/OttoHahn/otto_hahn_german_laTex_PDFlaTex-frak.pdf) | [Schwabacher](https://cdn.solaranamnesis.com/OttoHahn/otto_hahn_german_laTex_PDFlaTex-swab.pdf)  



For the full entire collection of all related works, you can read: ["The Historical Debate on the Chondrites."](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/ottohahn/tree/master/historical-collection#the-historical-debate-on-the-chondrites)



Figures are hyperlinked in the plain text versions and included at the end in the PDF versions. To view all the figures online via  a Flickr album: [Otto Hahn's Flickr Album](https://www.flickr.com/photos/solaranamnesis/albums/72157709097254482)



## Background:



"In the August 1881 issue of the New York magazine Science there is a long overlooked article entitled "Mr. Darwin on Dr. Hahn's Discovery of Fossil Organisms in Meteorites." Science was founded the preceding year by journalist John Michels with financial backing of Thomas Edison. Struggling to find a place in the popular science market, the illustrated weekly magazine was only published until March 1882. The current journal of the same name is a later incarnation. The article contains some extraordinary quotations from a lost Darwin letter or letters and, even more surprisingly, spoken words attributed to Darwin upon viewing meteorite specimens. The passage reads:



Not content with the mere presentation of his work, Dr. Hahn visited the veteran zoologist and brought his preparations to him for inspection.

No sooner had Mr. Darwin peered through the microscope on one of the finest specimens when he started up from his seat and exclaimed:

'Almighty God! What a wonderful discovery! Wonderful!'

And after a pause of silent reflection he added: 'Now reaches life down!'

The latter remark no doubt refers to the proof furnished by Dr. Hahn's discovery that organisms can reach our planet from celestial space. It is an acknowledgment of the relief Mr. Darwin must have felt in not being forced to a belief in a primeval 'generatio equivoca'.



Could this be true? Did Darwin really leap out of his chair? Did he believe life on Earth came from outer space?"



Source and more information about Hahn:

http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=A690&viewtype=text&pageseq=1



### Full Text of "Mr. Darwin on Dr. Hahn's Discovery of Fossil Organisms in Meteorites" from August 1881 issue of Science:



Dr. Hahn's discovery, of which an elaborate account was given in No. 50 of Science, has stirred up a lively discussion of this highly interesting subject. Dr. Hahn has taken steps to enable Prof. von Quenstedt, the renowned Tubingen geologist, and all others who expressed the desire to examine his microscopic preparations. It is understood that all those who have availed themselves of the opportunity thus offered have become convinced of the genuineness of Dr. Hahn's discovery.



It is very interesting to note the position taken by the greatest of living evolutionists in this controversy, if it can still be called such. Charles Darwin, on receipt of Dr. Hahn's work, wrote to him:



"... It seems to be very difficult to doubt that your photographs exhibit organic structure...," and furthermore:



"... your discovery is certainly one of the most important."



Not content with the mere presentation of his work, Dr. Hahn visited the veteran zoologist and brought his preparations to him for inspection.



No sooner had Mr. Darwin peered through the microscope on one of the finest specimens when he started up from his seat and exclaimed:



"Almighty God! What a wonderful discovery! Wonderful!"



And after a pause of silent reflection he added:



"Now reaches life down!"



The latter remark no doubt refers to the proof furnished by Dr. Hahn's discovery that organisms can reach our planet from celestial space. It is an acknowledgment of the relief Mr. Darwin must have felt in not being forced to a belief in a primeval _"generatio equivoca."_



As was suggested in the paper referred to, "the Richter-Thomson hypothesis of the origin of life on the earth has become a tangible reality!"



## Timeline of Publications Pertaining to the Organic Origin Theory of the Chondrites



### 1834 - [On Meteor-Stones](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Jacob-Berzelius) by Jacob Berzelius



### 1858 - [About the Components of the Meteor-Stone from Kaba in Hungary](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Friedrich-Wohler) by Friedrich Wöhler



### 1862 - [The Plurality of Inhabited Worlds](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/camille-flammarion) by Camille Flammarion



### 1863 - [A Description and Classification of Meteorites based on the Collection in the Mineralogical Museum of Berlin](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Gustav-Rose) by Gustav Rose



### 1865 - [On Darwinian Teachings](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/hermann-eberhard-friedrich-richter) by Hermann Eberhard Richter



### 1872 - [About Bacteria](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/ferdinand-julius-cohn) by Ferdinand Cohn



### 1875 - [On the Nature of the Stone Meteorites from the Fall of February 12, 1875 in Iowa County North America](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Karl-Wilhelm-von-Gumbel) by Carl von Gümbel



### 1878 - [About the Stone Meteorites Found in Bavaria](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Karl-Wilhelm-von-Gumbel) by Carl von Gümbel



### 1879 - [The Primordial Cell](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/ottohahn/tree/master/Die-Urzelle) by Otto Hahn



### 1880 - [The Meteorite (Chondrite) and its Organisms](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/ottohahn/tree/master/DIE-METEORITE-(CHONDRITE)-UND-IHRE-ORGANISMEN) by Otto Hahn



### 1881 - [Corals in the Meteorites](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Das-Ausland/tree/master/1881/16/1) by David F. Weinland



### 1881 - [About the "Organisms of the Meteorite"](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Das-Ausland/tree/master/1881/20/5) by Anton Rzehak



### 1881 - [More About the Animal Remains in the Meteorites](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Das-Ausland/tree/master/1881/26/1) by David F. Weinland



### 1881 - [Yet Again the "Organisms of the Meteorite"](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Das-Ausland/tree/master/1881/37/4) by Anton Rzehak



### 1881 - [The Meteorite and its Organisms](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Hermann-Karsten) by Hermann Karsten



### 1882 - [About the Animal Remains Discovered in the Meteorites](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/David-Friedrich-Weinland) by David F. Weinland



### 1882 - [The Alleged Organisms of the Meteorites](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/Karl-Christoph-Vogt) by Carl Vogt



### 1906 - [Worlds in the Making](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/svante-august-arrhenius) by Svante Arrhenius



### 1916 - [The Nummulosphere. Part 3: The Ocean Floor or Benthoplankton](https://github.com/solaranamnesis/randolph-kirkpatrick) by Randolph Kirkpatrick



### 1920 - [On Chondrules and Chondritic Structure in Meteorites](https://archive.org/details/jstor-84323/) by George P. Merrill



Arrhenius and Merrill make no mention of the organic theory in 1906 and 1920, suggesting that the works of Hahn/Karsten/Weinland were forgotten/ignored by this time in the "accepted" literature on the chondrites.