The instrument presented was used to measure magnetic inclination, that is, the vertical component of the Earth’s magnetic field. The instrument was created by Moritz Meyerstein (1808-1882), a mechanic at the University of Göttingen, who collaborated, among others, with Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855) and Wilhelm Weber (1804-1891). Gauss and Weber researched the Earth’s magnetic field in the mid-19th century. They established a network of magnetic observatories, where measurements of the Earth’s magnetism followed the same procedure. For several years, one of these measurement stations was located at the Jagiellonian University. Meyerstein was the main supplier of measuring devices for the magnetic observatories operating within the network.

Maciej Kluza, PhD (Museu da Universidade Jaguelônica, Collegium Maius)