Annalen der Physik
The year 1790 marked the first appearance of a scientific journal in Berlin that would eventually become Annalen der Physik. Friedrich Albrecht Carl Gren launched this publication under the title Journal der Physik. He edited it until 1794 when the name changed to Magazin für das Neueste aus der Physik und Chemie. Ludwig Wilhelm Gilbert took over editing duties in 1799 and renamed the journal Annalen der Physik und Chemie. Each editor who followed began volume numbering from one again, creating a perpetual source of confusion for later researchers. The journal often carried the editor's name as its shorthand identifier. Scholars referred to Gilberts Annalen or Poggendorfs Annalen depending on which man held the pen at that moment.
June 1905 contained a table of contents where Einstein's paper on the photoelectric effect appeared sixth among other contributions. Max Planck served as associate editor since 1895 before becoming co-editor alongside experimentalists like Wilhelm Wien. Peer review had not yet become standard practice during these early decades. Einstein simply sent his manuscripts directly to Planck who then published them without formal evaluation processes. The journal published groundbreaking work by Gustav Kirchhoff on electrical circuit equations in 1847. Rudolf Kohlrausch contributed research on stretched exponential relaxation in both 1854 and 1863. Heinrich Hertz documented findings about the photoelectric effect in 1887 while Max Planck explored blackbody radiation in 1901. Albert Einstein himself published papers on capillarity in 1901 and heat capacities of solids with quantized energy levels in 1907.
World War II caused publication to cease completely between 1944 and 1946. Soviet military authorities granted permission for the journal to restart in August 1946 after years of silence. Nazi Germany policies labeled German-language journals representing conservative elements within the physics community as problematic. The emigration wave beginning in 1933 removed many of Germany's best authors from domestic publications. Between 1946 and 1992, editorial control remained split between one person from East Germany and another from West Germany. This co-editorship policy persisted until German reunification occurred in 1990. Wiley-VCH acquired the journal following reunification and began restructuring efforts that would culminate in a major relaunch announced in 2012.
Johann Christian Poggendorff edited the journal from 1824 through 1876 under the title Annalen der Physik und Chemie. Gustav Heinrich Wiedemann took over editing duties from 1877 until 1899 when he renamed it Wiedemanns Annalen der Physik und Chemie. Paul Karl Ludwig Drude served as editor from 1900 to 1906 before the work divided between two editors. Wilhelm Wien handled experimental papers from 1907 to 1928 while Eduard Grüneisen managed theoretical content from 1929 to 1949. Max Planck worked as associate editor starting in 1895 before becoming co-editor alongside Wien. Stefan Hildebrandt currently serves as editor-in-chief with ISO 4 abbreviations changing from Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) to Ann. Phys. (Berl.) after 2008.
The original publication appeared entirely in German since that language led scientific communication during the late eighteenth century. From the 1950s through the 1980s, the journal published articles in both German and English simultaneously. Foreign authors initially contributed exclusively in English while German-speaking writers increasingly adopted English from the 1970s onward. This shift aimed to reach international audiences beyond Germany's borders. After German reunification in 1990, English became the sole language of the publication. The transition reflected broader changes in how scientists communicated across national boundaries during the twentieth century.
A relaunch announcement for 2012 introduced new editors and updated content scope for the journal. Wiley Online Library published details about this restructuring on the 17th of August 2011. The editorial board membership changed significantly following these updates. Journal Citation Reports listed a 2024 impact factor of 2.5 for the publication. Early issues from the 1800s have been digitized by Gallica for modern researchers. The journal continues publishing original peer-reviewed papers covering experimental, theoretical, applied, and mathematical physics alongside related areas today.
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Common questions
When did Annalen der Physik first appear in Berlin?
The year 1790 marked the first appearance of a scientific journal in Berlin that would eventually become Annalen der Physik. Friedrich Albrecht Carl Gren launched this publication under the title Journal der Physik.
Who edited Annalen der Physik from 1824 through 1876?
Johann Christian Poggendorff edited the journal from 1824 through 1876 under the title Annalen der Physik und Chemie. Each editor who followed began volume numbering from one again, creating a perpetual source of confusion for later researchers.
Why did Annalen der Physik cease publication between 1944 and 1946?
World War II caused publication to cease completely between 1944 and 1946. Soviet military authorities granted permission for the journal to restart in August 1946 after years of silence following Nazi Germany policies.
What language does Annalen der Physik use today?
After German reunification in 1990, English became the sole language of the publication. The transition reflected broader changes in how scientists communicated across national boundaries during the twentieth century.
When was the major relaunch of Annalen der Physik announced?
Wiley Online Library published details about this restructuring on the 17th of August 2011. A relaunch announcement for 2012 introduced new editors and updated content scope for the journal.