Professor of chemistry
Fritz Feigl was born and educated in Vienna. He served a one year with the Austrian-Hungarian Army, after which he studied biology and chemistry earning a diploma of Engineer in Chemistry at the T.H (Technische Hochschule), Vienna, in 1914.
During World War I he served as 1st lieutenant on the Russian front, where he was wounded. He was awarded bronze, silver and other medals for his conduct during the war. After the war, in 1919, F. Feigl became a member of faculty and assistant at the University of Vienna; in 1926 he became ‘Privatdozent’ and from 1936 to 1938 Associate Professor of analytic and inorganic chemistry. Concurrently, in 1920, Dr. of Technical Sciences at the University of Vienna. He received two prizes from the Academy of Sciences, Vienna. In 1926 he received the Haitinger Prize, and in 1931 the 1st Pregl Prize for Microchemistry.
In 1938, after the Nazis annexed Austria to Germany, Feigl was denied access to the laboratories, and his citizenship has been revoked. He received an invitation to St. Andrews University, Scotland, but at the end of 1938 he accepted an invitation from the Societe Belge des Recherches et des Etudes Ghent. He emigrated to Ghent and became director of a research laboratory where he developed an absorbent for gas masks for the Allied Governments.
In 1940 Feigl was interned as enemy alien, and was sent to France.
With the aid of some Free French officers and the Brazilian Ambassador to Vichy, he menaged to immigrate to Rio de Janeiro, via Portugal. In 1941 he was offered a position by the director of Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture. From 1941 to 1971 Feigl was head of department in a laboratory for mineral products at the Ministry of Agriculture. Concurrently, from 1953 to 1971 he was professor of chemistry at the University of Brazil. He was one of three Austrian pioneers in the field of microanalytical chemical research and was founder of organic and inorganic spot test analysis. Feigl developed a technique and methodology for the detection of extremely small qualitative analysis. The procedures developed by F. Feigl were based upon the use of reagent-impregnated filter papers, using for the first time catalytic and induced reactions which provided for the low concentrations of test materials needed for the specificity of agents. He developed the use of organic reagents for inorganic analysis and a new system of organic analysis. He also devised hundreds of tests for chemical identification.
Feigl was a member of: Federation of Jewish Societies of Rio de Janeiro; Friends of Hebrew University (1946); the board of governors of the Hebrew University (1950); Conference of Jewish Federations of Brazil (1951); executive of W.J.C. (World Jewish Congress – 1951-1971); Chaim Weizmann Institute (1954); Zionist Organisation of Brazil of B’nai B’rith. He was honorary member of the British Society of Analytical Chemistry; Japan Society of Analytical Chemistry; Verein Osterreichischer, Chemiker; and of the Osterreichische Geselschaft fuer Mikrochemie (that confers a ‘Feigl Prize’ for outstanding work by young Austrian microchemists).
F. Feigl received a Dr. honoris causa from the Technische Hochschule, Vienna (1947); the Emil Medal, Oesterreichische Geselschaft fuer Mikrochemie (1951); Weizmann Prize, City of Tel Aviv (1952); the title of honorary professor at the University of Brazil (1952); Exenar Medal N. Australian Trade Union Association (1957). In the same year he has been elected to the Brazil Academy of Science, and received the Einstein Medal (1957).
Feigl publications include: Analitative Analyse mit Hilfe von Tupfelreakcionen (Leipzig, 1931; 4 editions, translated into Russian, French, and English, 1935-60); Spot Tests, published in two parts, Inorganic Applications, and Organic Applications (1937-72, 6 and 7 editions); Chemistry of Specific, Selective and Sensitive Reactions (New York, 1949); and pharmaceutical patents. Feigl authored over 350 publications.