Von Hofmann, Boeckmann and Scherer. Historical drawing of three German scientists from right to left: August Wilhelm von Hofmann, E. Boeckmann, J.J. Scherer in the first modern organic chemistry laboratory. Von Hofmann (1818-92) became the first professor of this subject in Britain at the Royal College of Chemistry in 1845. Scherer became a professor of medicine at Wurzburg University. The scientists were assistants of Justus von Liebig in this laboratory, which he had set up at Geissen University. Although not the first chemical laboratory, it was the model on which others elsewhere were subsequently based. Drawn by W. Trautschold in about 1840.