FRANZ

See also:

• LUDWIG, KARL FRIEDRICH WILHELM (1816—1895)
• LUDWIG, OTTO (1813-1865)

LUDWIG VON

See also:

• FRANZ LUDWIG VON CANCRIN (1738-1812)

CANCRIN (1738-1812)  , German mineralogist and metallurgist, was born on the 21st of February 1738, at Breitenbach, Hesse-Darmstadt . In 1764 he entered the service of the landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt at Hanau, be-coming professor of mathematics at the military academy, head of the civil engineering department of the state, director of the theatre and (1774) of the mint . A work on the copper mines of Hesse (1767) earned him a European reputation, and in 1783 he accepted from Catherine II. of Russia the directorship of the famous Staraya salt-works, living thenceforth in Russia . In 1798 he became a councillor of state at St Petersburg . He published many works on mineralogy and metallurgy, of which the most important, the Grundzuge der Berg- and Salzwerkskunde (13 vols., Frankfort, 1773-1791), has been translated into several languages: His son, Count Georg von Cancrin, or Kankrin (1774-1845), was the eminent Russian minister of finance .