Goethebarometer - German/German
For a long time, an extremely important measuring instrument for farmers was a hemispherical glass vessel with a long spout filled with water. This weather glass showed the farmers whether it would rain or the sun would shine. If the sun was forecast, the harvest could begin.
Because the weather glass was so important for the farmers, the instrument was given the name farmer's barometer. And because the air pressure is indicated by the water level, it is also called a water barometer. However, the barometer is best known under the name "Goethebarometer" - a name based on a mistake.
When the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe died in Weimar in 1832, a glass jar filled with water was discovered on the wall of his bedroom. At first, no one really knew what this glass vessel was all about. However, since Goethe's interest in natural science was well known, it soon became clear that it must be a weather glass. Although barometers were already in use at that time, they seem to have been little known in Germany. Therefore, it was believed for a long time that Goethe was the inventor of the weather glass.
When the sun shines, the water in the spout sinks. This is because the higher pressure of the surrounding air pushes the water into the glass bulb. There is high pressure! If it rains, the water in the spout rises because the external pressure decreases. Low pressure prevails. If the water drips out of the spout, it is stormy.
Goethe Barometer - English
The teardrop-shaped measuring instrument with long spout that was filled with water was once a farmer's best, if not indispensable, friend. The weatherglass showed the farmer whether it was going to be wet or sunny and if the sun was going to shine, the harvest could begin.
Not surprisingly then, the instrument was called a farmer's barometer, or a water barometer because the water level inside recorded the air pressure. But it's more widely known as a "Goethe Barometer" - a label that's based on a mistake.
When the poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe died in Weimar in 1832 a water-filled receptacle was discovered on his bedroom wall and nobody really knew what it was for. As Goethe's interest in the natural sciences was well known it soon became clear that it was in fact some sort of weatherglass. Barometers were in use at the time, but appear to have been less widespread in Germany. Thus, for a long time, Goethe was thought to have invented the weatherglass.
When the sun shines the water level in the spout sinks because the higher pressure of the surrounding air pushes the water into the glass flask. If it rains, the external air pressure reduces and the water rises in the spout, but should the water drip out of the spout - a storm is approaching!