Abstract
After the liberation the process of normalization set in, including the purification of all institutions. Here Brouwer was punished for his independent position in wartime; he was in fact suspended for a couple of months, which he considered a gross insult. Moreover, his colleagues used the occasion to take over the power in the faculty. Although Brouwer fiercely opposed the new policies of the faculty and the department, his influence was limited. He was even sidetracked in the running of his own journal, Compositio; he used to speak of “the theft of my journal”. The days of his domination were over. A most welcome balm for his wounded feelings was a standing invitation to lecture on intuitionism in Cambridge. He also returned to his research. This time he published a number of papers on extensions of his previous intuitionistic œvre, and a few substantial expositions of his philosophical and foundational views. A planned monograph based on his Cambridge lectures appeared only posthumously.
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- 1.
Hk. de Vries had moved to Palestine before the war.
- 2.
Brouwer to De Loor, 20.VI.1945.
- 3.
Brouwer to Dresden, May 1946, draft.
- 4.
The rest of the draft is missing.
- 5.
Knegtmans (1998), p. 241.
- 6.
Cf. p. 674.
- 7.
The records of these interrogations are kept in the Stads Archief Amsterdam.
- 8.
Cf. p. 689.
- 9.
Brouwer to Comm. of Restoration, 17.VII.1945. Either written after the interrogation, or prepared beforehand.
- 10.
[Brouwer’s footnote] Cf. my lecture ‘Willen, weten en spreken’ (published in ‘De uitdrukkingswijze der wetenschap’, Groningen, Noordhoff, 1933, in particular I.3).
- 11.
Oral communication, J.S. Abels.
- 12.
Brouwer to CvH, 20.VIII.1945.
- 13.
i.e. Brouwer.
- 14.
Bruins.
- 15.
Cor Jongejan.
- 16.
Mannoury to CvH, 18.VIII.1945.
- 17.
Brouwer to City Council, 12.9.1945.
- 18.
A former associate of the famous resistance fighter Van der Veen.
- 19.
Van der Hurk to Committee of Restoration, 12.IX.1945.
- 20.
The official term for misbehaviour of civil servants is ‘reprimand’ (berisping) which in the civil service casts a serious blemish on a person’s record.
- 21.
Freudenthal to Fraenkel, 15.XI.1945.
- 22.
Bruins (1982).
- 23.
Romein-Verschoor (1970), vol. 2, p. 52.
- 24.
Faculty meeting, 1.XII.1945.
- 25.
Oral communication, August 1994.
- 26.
Brouwer to Committee of Restoration, 3.XII.1945.
- 27.
Werkgemeenschap van wetenschappelijke organisaties in Nederland.
- 28.
e.g. the Italian Conference in Rome, 1942.
- 29.
Mayor to Minister of Education Van der Leeuw, 13.XI.1945.
- 30.
Minister to Committee of Restoration, 11.XII.1945.
- 31.
In at least one memorandum to the Committee of Restoration (undated) Brouwer returned to the accusations that were made against him, referring to the letter of December 11 of the minister. He argued that the Committee had not represented his case faithfully to the minister, and that the same accusations that were raised against him, were overlooked in the case of colleagues. In short, that the principle of equality of rights had not been upheld properly. He thus carried on the defence when the authorities had already closed the case.
- 32.
According to Euwe he was no longer in Holland at the end of the war, after the arrest he was returned to Holland for trial. Interview, 25.VI.1977.
- 33.
Fraenkel to Courant, 5.IX.1945; Courant to Fraenkel, 19.X.1945.
- 34.
The curious combination of Bieberbach’s political views and the fact that he did not in the least fit the ideal of the German blond warrior often elicited smiles.
- 35.
There are reports that Brouwer, with his curious sense of humour, sometimes answered professional mail from Germany which ended with the obligatory ‘Heil Hitler’ by ending his reply with ‘Greetings from Queen Wilhelmina’. Oral communication, Mrs. Sapir. I have, however, not found written evidence.
- 36.
Gutkind to Einstein, 3.I.1946.
- 37.
The first refers to the role of the institute in the resistance movement. Since Brouwer’s letter is no longer extant, it is hard to say what exactly its content was. As to the second statement, Gutkind’s wording suggests that he had independent information on this matter. It is not wholly impossible, cf. the book of Balke, but then it probably took place before the war. In the absence of further information, there is little to be said. Balke’s book contains a reference to Brouwer’s support of a Nazi victim (cf. p. 643), there may have been more instances. In fact in some interviews Brouwer’s role in helping and hiding Jews and other victims of the regime have been mentioned; as no further confirmation could be obtained, it is no more than a rumour. There is similar, but more concrete, evidence that Brouwer’s cottages were used by people who had gone in hiding (onderduikers), cf. p. 697. Brouwer did not mention facts of this sort in his defence; his standard of argumentation was so high that it could easily turn against himself. Even here he practised Methodenreinheit.
- 38.
Einstein to Gutkind, 10.I.1946.
- 39.
Interview in Alberts et al., p. 116.
- 40.
Freudenthal to Mayor, 11.VI.1945.
- 41.
Freudenthal to Van der Corput, 25.VIII.1945.
- 42.
Bruins to Mayor, 20.VI.1945.
- 43.
Freudenthal to Mayor, 22.VI.1945; Bruins to Mayor, 1.VII.1945; Freudenthal to Mayor, 6.I.1945, Freudenthal to CvH, 9.VII.1945.
- 44.
Ibid.
- 45.
The argument is a curious mixture of fact and fiction, clearly designed to add plausibility to Brouwer’s views. Hurewicz and Freudenthal were indeed appointed in Amsterdam before Compositio began to appear, so their presence was convenient for the running of the journal, but nobody would maintain that Compositio was designed to keep Brouwer’s assistants occupied.
- 46.
Notes of the Secretary of the Comm. of Restoration.
- 47.
i.e. act as temporary director.
- 48.
Freudenthal to Van der Corput, 17.IX.1945.
- 49.
Brouwer to Alderman for Education, 30.VIII.1945.
- 50.
Freudenthal to Van der Corput, 17.IX.1945.
- 51.
Freudenthal to Mayor, 21.IX.1945.
- 52.
Clay to Alderman, 15.X.1945.
- 53.
Ottens.
- 54.
Freudenthal to CvH, 23.VIII.1945.
- 55.
15.VIII.1945.
- 56.
The Committee of Restoration and the ‘Van der Corput’-committee played a somewhat dubious role in the matter, see below.
- 57.
Alberts et al. (1987), p. 134.
- 58.
I am indebted to G. Alberts for putting the following facts at my disposal.
- 59.
Oral communication, N.G. de Bruijn. Van der Corput also wanted to transfer Blumenthal’s reprint collection from Delft to the Mathematical Centre in Amsterdam. The request was turned down. In retrospect, it would have been better that his request had been granted, for eventually the valuable collection was lost, and not so long ago items of the collection turned up in antiquarian bookshops.
- 60.
Utrecht faculty to Van der Waerden, 27.VII.1943, Van der Waerden to Utrecht faculty, 19.IX.1943.
- 61.
Van Dantzig and Bottema were professors in Delft, Struik had been at MIT since the twenties.
- 62.
Faculty Utrecht to Committee of Restoration, 13.XII.1945.
- 63.
In fact the Amsterdam faculty used a similar argument. Van der Waerden had apparently decided to sit on the fence.
- 64.
- 65.
Until 1981 professors and lecturers at the state universities were appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Minister of Education. The Minister in turn was presented with an ordered pair of two candidates by the university. Usually the Queen followed the recommendation of the faculties, but even in ordinary times, politics could play a role and a candidate could be ‘returned’ to the faculty.
- 66.
Quoth Koksma and Van Dantzig (oral communication, N.G. de Bruijn).
- 67.
Brouwer had thwarted Michels’ appointment in the thirties. Not much love seems to have been lost between the two, Maas (2001), p. 180.
- 68.
Freudenthal to De Groot, 17.IX.1945.
- 69.
Clay to Freudenthal, 15.V.1946.
- 70.
Clay to rector, 22.X.1945.
- 71.
The teaching staff consisted at that moment of Brouwer, Bruins, Freudenthal (who had been reinstated as a conservator on September 14), and Heyting.
- 72.
24.I.1946.
- 73.
Brouwer, Bruins and Heyting.
- 74.
Brouwer to B & W (Mayor and Aldermen), 7.I.1946.
- 75.
Clay to Brouwer, 10.I.1946.
- 76.
Brouwer to Clay, 23.I.1946.
- 77.
Brouwer to Wibaut, 12.I.1946.
- 78.
A popular book written by the Soviet defector, Victor Kravchenko.
- 79.
Van Dantzig was appointed in Amsterdam on 22 May 1946. Cf. Alberts (1998).
- 80.
In those days one did not apply for a chair. One was recommended by colleagues and sister faculties. After the traditional bargaining the University submitted the name of the candidate to the Minister for approval.
- 81.
Freudenthal to Minnaert, 6.V.1946.
- 82.
Brouwer to political parties, 6.V.1946.
- 83.
Clay to Freudenthal, 8.V.1946 (cc. Brouwer).
- 84.
Clay to Freudenthal, 15.V.1946.
- 85.
Alberts et al., p. 118.
- 86.
Brouwer (1948a).
- 87.
Later called ‘creative subject’ by Kreisel.
- 88.
Brouwer (1949a).
- 89.
There is a thin line separating the weak from the strong refutations. Here the matter is particularly delicate, as one would like to exhibit a real that was distinct from 0, but not apart. However, ¬(a#0→a=0), so such a straightforward example is not available. The weak counterexamples are usually of the form ‘we have no evidence for…’, whereas the strong counterexamples are plain contradictions, ‘it is not the case that …’. Brouwer’s new strong counterexamples used the full strength of his theory of choice sequences (including the continuity principle).
- 90.
Brouwer (1949b).
- 91.
Heyting, in his monograph (Heyting 1956), put the topic in the chapter ‘Controversial subjects’.
- 92.
It is however incompatible with ∀α∃β-continuity, Myhill (1966).
- 93.
Nowadays Centrum voor Wiskunde en Informatica, CWI.
- 94.
An account of the history of the Mathematical Centre can be found in Alberts’ dissertation, Alberts (1998).
- 95.
Brouwer to Van der Corput, 27.IX.1946.
- 96.
Brouwer to Van der Corput, 8.X.1946.
- 97.
Lize to Louise, 6.III 1946.
- 98.
Brouwer refers here to the pharmacy, see p. 512.
- 99.
Brouwer to Van der Corput, 8.X.1946, 14.X.1946.
- 100.
Brouwer to Van der Corput, 17.X.1946.
- 101.
Oral communication, T.A. Springer.
- 102.
Van der Corput to Brouwer, 31.X.1946.
- 103.
Brouwer to Van der Corput, 2.XI.1946.
- 104.
Brouwer to Van der Corput, 14.XII.1946.
- 105.
Bolkestein to Van der Corput, 21.XII.1946.
- 106.
See Kreisel (1987), p. 147.
- 107.
Steen to Brouwer, 27.XI.1947.
- 108.
- 109.
Mannoury (1943), ‘insiders knew that ‘A or B’ meant ‘Aristotle or Brouwer’.’
- 110.
Recorded in the proceedings, Problèmes de philosophie des sciences: premier symposium, Bruxelles, 1947. Hermann, 1948–1950. 7 vols. Serie Archives de l’Institut International des Sciences Théoriques. Ser.A. Bulletin de l’Académie Internationale de Philosophie de Sciences.
- 111.
The faculty files show that Brouwer had duly requested the Minister’s permission to obtain foreign currency at the rate of £.5,– a day, 3.XII.1947.
- 112.
Brouwer, Bruins, Heyting, De Groot, Loonstra to Faculty, 27.XII.1947.
- 113.
Clay to Curators, 27.II.1948.
- 114.
Brouwer to faculty, 27.II.1948.
- 115.
Clay to Rector, 13.III.1948.
- 116.
At present there are full, part-time and extra-ordinary professors. Apart from the change in title, the positions are the same as the old ones.
- 117.
Brouwer to Curators, 2.IV.1948.
- 118.
Brouwer to Minister of Education, 15.IV1948.
- 119.
Clay and Van der Corput to Rector, 9.IV.1948.
- 120.
Van der Corput to Brouwer, 9.IV.1948.
- 121.
Brouwer to Van der Corput, 14.IV.1948.
- 122.
De Boer to Brouwer, 15.IV.1948.
- 123.
5.II.1948.
- 124.
Brouwer (1949c).
- 125.
Brouwer (1949a).
- 126.
Kreisel and Newman (1969), p. 46.
- 127.
In fact Noordhoff merged with Wolters, and it is no longer an independent company. In the transition the relevant material was probably discarded.
- 128.
Freudenthal to Hopf, 9.X.1945.
- 129.
Brouwer to Ed. board Comp. Math., 10.VII.1949, 27.I.1950.
- 130.
Van Breda to Brouwer, 25.I.1947.
- 131.
17, 19, 21, 24, 26 and 27 March 1947.
- 132.
Strangely enough ‘to the editors belonging to the United Nations’. What had happened to his internationalist convictions of 1919?
- 133.
Noordhoff to Freudenthal, 1.XI.1948.
- 134.
Freudenthal to Noordhoff, 1.XII.1948.
- 135.
Van der Corput to Noordhoff, 26.I.1949.
- 136.
Noordhoff to Van der Corput, 29.I.1949.
- 137.
Van der Corput to Noordhoff, 31.I.1949 (draft).
- 138.
Schouten to Hopf, 8.XI.1949.
- 139.
Brouwer to Kleene, 12.IV.1949.
- 140.
Kleene to Brouwer, 19.IV.1949.
- 141.
Professor in Groningen, a function theorist.
- 142.
ibid. The information is mostly based on Schouten’s letter.
- 143.
Telegram, 30.VI.1949.
- 144.
Schouten to Hopf, 8.XI.1949.
- 145.
Freudenthal guessed that similar letters went to the other members.
- 146.
Schouten, for unknown reasons, counted only four universities. There were five at the time.
- 147.
Kluyver to Gerretsen, 11.XII.1949.
- 148.
Schouten to General Committee, 2.I.1950. Cf. Brouwer to eds., 1.I.1950.
- 149.
Brouwer to Mayor and Aldermen, 3.I.1950.
- 150.
Brouwer to Comm. of Adm., 27.I.1950.
- 151.
Brouwer to Comm. of Adm., 3.II.1950.
- 152.
Brouwer to Comm. of Adm., 7.II.1950.
- 153.
Brouwer to Hopf, 28.I.1950.
- 154.
Hopf to Brouwer, 12.II.1950.
- 155.
Schouten to Hopf, 14.II.1950.
- 156.
Schouten to Veblen, 9.V.1950.
- 157.
Brouwer to Baron van Haersolte, 22.XII.1950.
- 158.
Landbouw Hogeschool.
- 159.
21.I.1949.
- 160.
Brouwer to Hopf, 10.III.1949.
- 161.
Oral communication, E. Specker.
- 162.
Brouwer to Hopf, 3.V.1949 (from Madrid).
- 163.
Cf. p. 153.
- 164.
Poincaré.
- 165.
Brouwer to Heyting, 28.X.1949.
- 166.
Posthumously published as Brouwer (1981).
- 167.
Brouwer to ANP (General Dutch Press Office), 9.II.1951.
- 168.
Brouwer to Heyting, 23.II.1951.
- 169.
Brouwer to Mannoury, 25.III.1951. Mannoury’s paper with dedication appeared in Synthese (Mannoury 1951).
- 170.
Mannoury to Brouwer, 28.III.1951.
- 171.
Secretary General to Van der Corput, 31.I.1950.
- 172.
Van der Corput to Brouwer, 20.I.1950.
- 173.
Brouwer to Curators, 5.II.1950.
- 174.
I count myself lucky to have heard his lectures in that year, Van der Waerden was a wonderful teacher.
- 175.
Brouwer to the Chairman of the Faculty, 7.III.1951. The letter consisted of two sentences of 12 and 15 lines!
- 176.
Brouwer to faculty, 14.III.1951.
- 177.
Brouwer’s official day of retirement.
- 178.
As a professor and as a director.
- 179.
Brouwer to Faculty, 1.V.1951.
- 180.
The first part was already strictly uniform, the second part (after the candidaats exam) was rather flexible.
- 181.
Schouten to Van der Corput/Van Dantzig, 7.V.1951.
- 182.
The draft mentioned that although Bruins taught applied mathematics, the enormous interest in the courses of Van der Waerden had shown that advanced courses were also in demand.
- 183.
Heyting to Brouwer, 10.II.1951.
- 184.
Brouwer to Heyting, 14.III.1951.
- 185.
Brouwer to Bruins, 13.VII.1951.
- 186.
Oral communication D. Kan.
- 187.
Hinks to Brouwer, 4.VII.1951.
- 188.
Heyting to Brouwer, 25.IX.1951.
- 189.
Brouwer to Heyting, 27.X.1951.
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van Dalen, D. (2013). Postwar Events. In: L.E.J. Brouwer – Topologist, Intuitionist, Philosopher. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4616-2_17
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