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Gregorio Weber’s Roots in Argentina

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Perspectives on Fluorescence

Part of the book series: Springer Series on Fluorescence ((SS FLUOR,volume 17))

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Abstract

Professor Gregorio Weber was an outstanding, dedicated scientist, versed in a great variety of scientific subjects. But he was also an exceptional human being: of a reserved nature, he never placed himself above or before others, never put people down. He was a cultivated man with a brilliant intellect, amicable, generous, modest, and prone to listen. He had a real concern with the underlying social issues in all the countries where he lived. His childhood, youth, and university training up to his first doctoral degree took place in his home country, Argentina, and these periods of his life had a deep impact on the shaping of his persona, his cultural habits, and his scientific interests. His great mind and avid quest for knowledge in all spheres of life were undoubtedly nourished by the high standards of the educational system in Argentina at that time but were also fired by the crucial influence of his family and cultural environment, his circle of talented friends, and the informal training that he received in Buenos Aires.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Moisés Ville, sometimes called “the Palestine of the Pampas,” was the first Jewish agricultural colony in Argentina. The book by Javier Senay describes the circumstances surrounding the murder of 22 Ukrainian immigrants in this colony between 1889 and 1906. The gauchos felt that their livelihood and lifestyle were being threatened by the agricultural export model which involved the fencing off of land.

  2. 2.

    Dave Jameson described Gregorio’s appreciation of the written language of Francis Perrin [4]: “…it was written in that transparent, terse style of XVIII century France, which I have tried, perhaps unsuccessfully, to imitate from then onwards.” In my view, Gregorio definitely did achieve what he sought: elegance, precision and conciseness of expression in his written and oral language.

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Acknowledgement

My sincere gratitude to Isabel Kurlat de Zitzer and Enrique D’ Alessio, Gregorio’s niece and nephew, for the very enjoyable time they generously shared with me, conversing about the family links and Gregorio’s background, and for providing unique photographic material. I am particularly grateful to Gregorio’s 100-year-old cousin Anita Wolovick, daughter of Cecilia Gerchunoff and Miguel Wolovik, to Dr. Carola Eisenberg, currently 98, and to Isabel Fernández Vega (Mauricio Goldenberg’s widow), aged 96, for sharing their first-hand life-enduring reminiscences and marvelous stories of Gregorio. I also thank Gregorio’s daughter Juliet for contributing photographic material, and Dr. Antonia Stoppani, for telling me about her late husband’s close contacts with Gregorio. Finally, I thank my wife, Phyllis, for critical reading of the manuscript and valuable suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, UCA-CONICET, Institute for Biomedical Research (BIOMED), Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 1600, C1107AFF, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Francisco J. Barrantes

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  1. Francisco J. Barrantes
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Correspondence to Francisco J. Barrantes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

    David M. Jameson

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Barrantes, F.J. (2016). Gregorio Weber’s Roots in Argentina. In: Jameson, D. (eds) Perspectives on Fluorescence. Springer Series on Fluorescence, vol 17. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/4243_2016_9

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