Paul Nikolai Kogerman
Born	(1891-12-05)5 December 1891 Tallinn,Governorate of Estonia,Russian Empire
Died	27 July 1951(1951-07-27) (aged 59) Tallinn,Estonia
Citizenship	Estonian
Alma mater	University of Tartu Imperial College London ETH Zurich
Known for	Research inoil shale
Awards	Légion d'honneur (1927) Order of the White Star (1938)
Scientific career
Fields	Chemist
Institutions	University of Tartu Tallinn University of Technology

Paul Nikolai Kogerman (5 December [O.S. 23 November] 1891 inTallinn – 27 July 1951 in Tallinn) was anEstonianchemist and founder of modern research inoil shale.

Paul Kogerman was born into a family of gas factory worker (and former sailor). He went to an elementary school in 1901–1904 and a town school in 1904–1908. After town school Kogerman earned a living by teaching in church manors near Tallinn.^[1] In 1913, he was graduated from the Alexander Gymnasium in Tallinn (Reval) as an extern. Starting in 1913, he studied at theUniversity of Tartu, graduating from its Department of Chemistry in 1918.^[1][2] In theEstonian War of Independence he fought in a unit of Tallinn teachers.^[1] In 1919–1920 he got a state scholarship to study at theImperial College London.^[1][2] In May 1921 he was given a qualification ofchemical technologist by theUniversity of London and in 1922 he received the degree ofMaster of Sciences.^[1]

From 1921 to 1936, Kogerman was active at theUniversity of Tartu. After the defence of his Master's thesis on the thermal decay of oil-shale, he was elected docent of Organic Chemistry of the University in 1922. He went on to become extraordinary professor in 1924 and full professor in 1925.^[1][2] In 1926 and 1933 he was guest lecturer at theETH Zürich and in 1927–1928 atHarvard University. In 1934, he defended, inZürich, his doctoral thesis on the combining andpolymerization reactions of the isolateddouble bonddienes.^[2]

From 1936 to 1941 Kogerman was professor of organic chemistry at theTallinn University of Technology, in 1936–1939 he was also a rector of the University. In 1938, Kogerman was selected to the newly establishedEstonian Academy of Sciences and in 1946 reselected after re-establishment of the Academy as the Academy of Sciences of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic. He was the president of theEstonian Naturalists' Society in 1929–1936.

In 1938–1939 Kogerman wasex officio member of the National Council(Riiginõukogu). From October 1939 until the Soviet occupation of Estonia on 21 June 1940 Kogerman served as Minister of Public Education.

In 1941 Kogerman, together with his family, was deported by Soviet authorities to the prisoner camp inSverdlovsk Oblast.^[1][3] He was prematurely released and allowed to return to Estonia in 1945.^[4] From 1945 to 1951 he was director of the chair for organic chemistry atTallinn University of Technology. From 1947 to 1950 he served also as the director of the Chemistry Institute of the Academy of Sciences.^[5]

In 1927 Kogerman was decorated with the insignia of theLégion d'honneur and in 1938 with the Second Class of theOrder of the White Star. In 2006 the Paul Kogerman scholarship was founded, to be granted to successful master's and doctoral level students of the Faculties of Science and Chemical and Materials Technology of the Tallinn University of Technology.^[6]

Paul Kogerman won international reputation with his work on oil shale. He initiated systematic research of oil shale and its products by establishing, together with professor Michael Wittlich, a laboratory to study oil-bearing shales in 1925.^[2][7] Kogerman submitted fundamental work on the structure and origin of oil shale and its chemical characteristics, as well as work on thermal processes.

• Kogerman, Paul N. (1922).The Chemical Composition of the Esthonian M.-Ordovician Oil-bearing Mineral "kukersite". University of Tartu. p. 25. ASIN:B0008AA1EM.
• Kogerman, P. N. (1925)."The present status of the oil-shale industry in Estonia"(PDF).Journal of the Institution of Petroleum Technologists.11 (50).London:Institute of Petroleum: 16.ISSN 0368-2722.
• Kogerman, Paul N. (1927).The Oil-shale Industry of Estonia. Estonian ministry of trade and industry. p. 40. ASIN:B00087688I.
• Kogerman, Paul N.; Kranig, J. (1927).Physical Constants of Some Alkyl Carbonates. p. 11.
• Kogerman, Paul N. (1927).The Chemical Nature of Estonian Oil-shale: The Origin of Oil-shales. Mattiesen. p. 17.
• Kogerman, Paul N.; Kõll, A. (1930).Physical Properties of Estonian Shale Oils. Oil shale research laboratory of the University of Tartu. p. 19.
• Kogerman, Paul N. (1931).On the Chemistry of the Estonian Oil Shale Kukersite. Oil shale research laboratory of the University of Tartu. p. 85.
• Kogerman, Paul N.; Kopvillem, J. (1932).Hydrogenation of Estonian Oil Shale and Shale Oil. Oil shale research laboratory of the University of Tartu. p. 13.
• Kogerman, Paul N. (1932).Desulphurisation of Estonian Shale Oil. Oil shale research laboratory of the University of Tartu. p. 14.
• Kogerman, Paul N. (1933).The Occurrence, Nature and Origin of Asphaltites in Limestone and Oil Shale Deposits in Estonia. Oil shale research laboratory of the University of Tartu. p. 8.
• Kogerman, Paul N. (1937).Report on the Distillation of Estonian Oil-shales in the Pilot Plant of the K.T.O Patents Ltd. at Vanamõisa, Estonia. ASIN:B00089SQZY.
• Kogerman, Paul N. (1957).Shale Kerogen as a High-molecular-weight Substance and the Origin of Shales. Associated Technical Services.

• Martinson, Helle; Martinson, Karl (1981).Akadeemik Paul Kogerman. Põlevkivikeemia rajaja Eestis. Tallinn.
• Kogerman, Aili (2004).Paul Kogerman ja tema aeg. Tallinn.ISBN 9985-50-366-X.

• Paul Kogerman's CVArchived 2008-01-03 at theWayback Machine, by Tallinn University of Technology (in Estonian)

• 1891 births
• 1951 deaths
• Scientists from Tallinn
• People from Kreis Harrien
• Members of the Riiginõukogu
• Estonian chemists
• Oil shale in Estonia
• Oil shale researchers
• Education and Social affairs ministers of Estonia
• University of Tartu alumni
• Academic staff of the University of Tartu
• Alumni of Imperial College London
• Harvard University staff
• Academic staff of the Tallinn University of Technology
• Members of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
• Estonian military personnel of the Estonian War of Independence
• Estonian people imprisoned in the Soviet Union
• Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 2nd Class
• Recipients of the Legion of Honour
• Burials at Metsakalmistu
• Members of the Estonian National Assembly
• ETH Zurich alumni

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