Theodor Rehbock

Who was Theodor Rehbock?

Theodor Christoph Heinrich Rehbock was a German hydraulics engineer, and professor at the University of Karlsruhe.

Theodor Rehbock's father was an overseas merchant. Rehbock studied at the Technical University Munich and Berlin Institute of Technology during 1884–90, receiving his MSc degree in 1892.

Rehbock performed studies on water supply and hydraulic engineering in many countries. Further, he built a hydroelectric power station in the Murg river in Baden. In 1899, Rehbock became professor of hydraulics at the University of Karlsruhe. Where he started a hydraulics laboratory, in 1901, of which he was the director until 1934. The hydraulics aspects of most large projects in Germany – as well as in many other countries in the world – were tested here. For instance the Afsluitdijk for the separation of the Zuiderzee from the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands. After his retirement, the laboratory has been named the "Theodor Rehbock Laboratory".

Rehbock was rektor of the University of Karlsruhe three times: in 1907–08, 1917–18 and 1925–26.

In 1935, an initiative of Theodor Rehbock, Wolmar Fellenius and Rudolf Seifert lead to the establishment of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research.