The chemist Josef Herzig died in Vienna on July 4, 1924.
Herzig was promoted a private lecturer in chemistry in 1887 and appointed associate professor in 1897. However, due to his Mosaic religioun, he was set back when promotions were due. Although he was appointed full professor in 1913, he still only held a lectureship in pharmaceutical chemistry.
Herzig's most brilliant scientific contributions were those that helped to elucidate the constitution of plant dyes. Together with Hans Meyer, Herzig developed the method of methylimide determination between 1894 and 1897, a group determination reaction which is one of the well-known name reactions in organic chemistry ("Herzig-Meyer reaction").
A relief plaque erected in 1935 in the auditorium of the former Institute of Chemistry commemorating Herzig was destroyed shortly after the National Socialists came to power in 1938.
