Abstract

The electricity within the world view of Johann Gottlob Krüger. – In the 18th century, the physician Johann Gottlob Krüger was among the first German scientists, who contributed to the new field of electricity. Based on a pietist background, he developed a natural theology, in which every part of nature was regarded as useful because of the wisdom of god, who wanted to be recognized by man through his creation. The following essay presents a short abstract of Krüger's world view, in which electricity accomplished several functions as divine and human aid. It was regarded to serve as the cause of earthquakes or as a new kind of medicine and stimulated speculation on an electrical universe. Also it seems, that Krüger tried to use the new electrical phenomenon as a starting point for his own scientific career