The instrumentation of the observatory originated from the
Mannheim Observatory, founded in 1774. In 1880, the observatory was provisionally moved to
Karlsruhe because the astronomical/atmospherical
seeing conditions worsened. In subsequent years, three other locations were considered, with Heidelberg-
Königstuhl finally being chosen. On 20 June 1898, the "Großherzogliche Bergsternwarte" was ceremonially inaugurated by
Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden. The astronomical institute comprised two complementary departments, the astrophysical, led by
Max Wolf, and the
astrometrical led by
Karl Wilhelm Valentiner. Valentiner was director of the Mannheim observatory and initiated the move to Karlsruhe. After Valentiner's retirement in 1909, both departments were placed under the administration of Max Wolf. While the new observatory complex was still under construction
Max Wolf obtained a grant of $10,000 from the American philanthropist
Catherine Wolfe Bruce for the acquisition of a powerful new dual
refractor telescope, the
Bruce double astrograph. For many years this telescope was the observatory's main research instrument. He later obtained a grant to build the observatory's a
reflector telescope, the observatory's first. The main field of activity of the observatory was the investigation of
nebulae and the search for
asteroids. Wolf, his staff and his successors discovered over 800 asteroids, including the first
trojan asteroid Achilles in 1906. Between 1912 and 1957,
Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth discovered almost 400
asteroids from the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory. The observatory ceased to be run by the German federal government in 2005 when it was joined with the
Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics and
Astronomical Calculation Institute to make up the
Center of Astronomy of the
University of Heidelberg. == See also ==