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Abstract:
Adolf and Günther Thiem, father and son, were pioneering groundwater hydrologists. Adolf Thiem (1836-1908) never attended a university but became an autodidact. Günther Thiem (1875-1959) published one of the first PhD studies solely dedicated to groundwater in 1906. Adolf was a true explorer and inventor of new methods, Günther perfected and propagated them. They left behind a methodological legacy that many current hydrogeologists are unaware of. It goes well beyond the Dupuit-Thiem analytical model for pump test analysis, which is connected to their name. Methods, which we use on a day-to-day basis today, such as isopotential maps, tracer tests and vertical wells were among the many contributions. Remarkably, this was done as a by-product of their practical work designing and building water supply schemes in countries all over Europe. Some of these waterworks are still active. Both Thiems were also great science communicators and defenders, editors, publishers and prolific authors. Both Thiems were in close contact with many leading scientists from Europe and overseas. Their contributions were read and applied in many countries, especially in the US, through a personal connection between Günther and O.E. Meinzer, the leading USGS hydrogeologist of the time.The engineering work of the Thiems can only be understood in light of the societal changes in the late 19th and early 20th century. Increasing population, industrialization and urbanization increased the water demand, while negatively affecting water quality. Groundwater became a safe alternative for polluted surface water, but little was known about this mysterious underground resource.
