Albert Gockel, a pioneer in atmospheric electricity and cosmic radiation

At the beginning of the 20th century, the community of investigators of atmospheric electricity included scholars from most (Western) European countries and even beyond. If Victor Hess is deservedly remembered as the discoverer of cosmic rays, his achievements was made possible by the work of close predecessors whose contributions went with time almost forgotten. One of the most noteworthy was Albert Gockel (1860–1927) from Freiburg (CH) University. I want to discuss Gockel’s achievements in atmospheric electricity and in particular his substantial contribution to the study of ionizing radiation which led to the discovery of its cosmic origin.