ZALLINGER

AUSTRIA (see also List of Individuals)

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14.2.1743 Bozen/I - 2.10.1828 Innsbruck/A

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Franz Seraph Zallinger zum Thurn was born in today's Bolzano, formerly in the Austrian Empire. He entered the Order of Jesus in 1760 and during his stay at the College of Ingolstadt was attracted by mathematics. From 1773 he taught in Trento and Munich, and was appointed professor of physics at Innsbruck University in 1777 from where he retired in 1815. Zallinger published a number of books in mechanics, electricity, meteorology and hydraulics.

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Torrents caused always disaster to settlements. The disaster of Zell am See in Austria's Tyrol province following large rainfalls buried the entire settlement in 1737 because of a huge avalanche of mud and rocks. The village in vain set up a wall to divert these flows during future floods. Up till around 1800, other settlements tried to solve the problem with isolated means, mainly slightly upstream from the villages involved. The 1779 book of von Zallinger followed this practice when presenting a general account on torrent rehabilitation. However, von Zallinger expressively warned from cut down of forests, a practice widely used from the Middle Ages until the 19th century. Following probably von Zallinger's call, the Austrian County governor recommended villages a collective attack against further disasters by the erection of combined means along a torrent. The response of the population was small, however, and it became evident only towards the end of the 19th century that the government had to take over responsibility in torrent rehabilitation. Von Zallinger may be considered a predecessor of modern torrent design, therefore. Von Zallinger also conducted meteorological observations over five decades and invented a barometer for pressure readings. During 52 years until two days before he passed away, von Zallinger made detailed weather observations at the same daytime and the same location.

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_{Aulitzky, H. (1984). Dr. Franz Zallinger zum Thurn. 100 Jahre Wildbachverbauung in Österreich: 10-13. Bundesministerium für Landund Forstwirtschaft: Wien. P}

_{Wurzbach, C. (1889). Zallinger. Biographisches Lexikon Kaiserthum Österreich 58: 112-114. Zallinger zum Thurn, F. von (1779). Abhandlung von den Überschwemmungen in Tyrol. Innsbruck.}

_{Zallinger zum Thurn, F. von (1782). Observationes astronomicæ et meteorologicæ. Innsbruck. Zallinger zum Thurn, F. von (1805). Praelectiones ex physica theoretica et experimentali. Schiffner: Innsbruck.}

_{Zallinger zum Thurn, F. von (1808). Auszug meteorologischer Beobachtungen von 30 Jahren in Innsbruck. Innsbruck.}