From: Analytical Chemistry 2001-06-01, page 310 (Copyright 2001 American Chemical Society)

Wilhelm Fresenius was the last to suspect that, in June last year, his son Ludwig Fresenius would sell the family’s jewel: the Institut Fresenius (Germany), which was founded by Carl Remigius Fresenius in 1848. When the decision was made, Wilhelm Fresenius was still the editor-in-chief of the institute’s well-knownFresenius’ Journal of Analytical Chemistry, which was first published in 1862.

In January 2002, Fresenius’ Journal will be merged with Analusis to form Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry . Analusis is a European journal of analytical chemistry, published by Wiley-VCH under the auspices of the Society of German Chemists (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker), the French Chemical Society (Société Française de Chimie), and the French Society of Industrial Chemistry (Société de Chimie Industrielle). The merger was announced in a recent declaration of intent issued by Springer Verlag and the German and French chemical societies. The new journal will cover all fields of analytical chemistry and its applications, including molecular biology and the life sciences, says the publisher.

Springer already owns 50% of Fresenius’ Journal of Analytical Chemistry . The publisher recently acquired the remainder of the journal from the small company LinoDiagnostic AG (Germany), which had bought the Institut Fresenius last year. Institut Fresenius performs biological, chemical, and environmental analyses; offers technical consultation; and had revenues of  35 million last year. The new owners will merge both institutes into the new Institut Fresenius AG—not to be confused with the German health care group Fresenius AG, which dates back to 1912 and was founded by the dispensing chemist Eduard Fresenius.

The Society of German Chemists and the French Chemical Society have agreed to take over a share of the journal, and the corresponding contracts were signed recently. Other national chemical societies in Europe will be invited to support the new journal. Decisions about the composition of its editorial board and a new editor-in-chief will be announced soon.

And so, the era of this family-owned scientific journal ends with fourth-generation editor-in-chief Wilhelm Fresenius.