BELAR, Albin
* 21. 2. 1864, Ljubljana, Slovenia
† 1. 1. 1939, Polom near Kočevje, Slovenia
chemist, physics, seismologist
B. studied chemistry and natural science at the University of Vienna, and in 1890 wrote his dissertation in Graz on physical sciences. Between 1890 and 1895, he was a professor at the Naval Academy in Rijeka, and after that a professor at the secondary modern school in Ljubljana until 1908.
Influenced by the catastrophic earthquake in Ljubljana in 1895, he set up the first modern seismological station in Europe in that very town in 1897, which operated until 1919. His seismographs were some of the best in the world; some remained in use until 1929. B. participated in the establishment of a modern seismographic laboratory in Austria and Czechoslovakia, and participated in the establishment of a seismographic laboratory in Belgrade from 1908 to 1910. Between 1901 and 1910, he was active as the publisher of the newspaper Die Erdbebenwarte (Seismographic Observatories) and set the foundations for seismologic prognosis. Together with architect Max Fabiani, he planned a modern geophysical institute in Ljubljana, whose construction was prevented by the onset of World War I. In 1918, he was forced to retire, and in 1923, he founded his own seismological institute in Vintgar near Bled, which he named after Sir Humphry Davy. B. wrote numerous newspaper contributions, among others on meteorology (Measurements of Storm Electricity, Meteorological Balloon Probes, 1913), Radiotechnology (together with Anton →Codelli), Karstology and Nature Protection. In 1924, the Triglav National Park was created on his initiative.
