Bitter Years

Eckert, Michael

doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-7461-6_12

Michael Eckert²

1164 Accesses

Abstract

Following the appointment of “the worst imaginable successor,” Sommerfeld wrote a colleague in December 1939 that he had “gone permanently into retirement.” Three months earlier, with the invasion of Poland, Hitler had unleashed World War II. The conjunction of the catastrophe on the large scale and the ignominious end of his Munich “nursery” on the smaller made for a depressing transition into retirement for Sommerfeld. Once again, as in the summer of 1933, he suffered from insomnia. In 1939 at the neighboring Technical University of Munich, the “Lenard clique” also succeeded in installing a member of its ranks in the person of Rudolf Tomaschek in an academic chair. “It seems Munich is becoming the capital of the counter-movement in physics,” Sommerfeld’s former assistant Karl Bechert commented on this appointment. As professor of theoretical physics at the Justus Liebig University, Gieβen, Bechert could only observe events unfolding in Munich from afar.

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Notes

1.
To Paul Rosbaud, December 19, 1939. DMA, NL 89, 025.
2.
To Ernst, September 10, 1939 and January 19, 1940.
3.
From Bechert, December 30, 1939. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,12.
4.
To Ernst, April 1, 1945.
5.
Dingler to Thüring, December 8, 1939. Aschaffenburg, Hofbibliothek, Dingler estate.
6.
Hilz, Bildungsanstalt, 2010, pp. 274–276.
7.
Müller to the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Munich, February 24, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
8.
Transcript of a conference with Dr. Dames, July 16, 1940. DMA, NL 89. Also in Benz, Arnold Sommerfeld, 1975, pp. 183–184.
9.
Müller to the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Munich, September 11, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
10.
To the Office of the Rector, September 1, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 018, folder 3,14. Also in ASWB II.
11.
To Gerlach, September 10, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 015. Also in ASWB II.
12.
Hashagen, Constantin Carathéodory, 2010, pp. 22–23.
13.
Friedrich von Faber to the Buildings Department of the University, February 8, 1940. UAM, E-II-N.
14.
Cited from Litten, Mechanik, 2000, p. 107.
15.
To Ernst, April 4, 1940.
16.
To Grimm, April 8, 1940. DMA, HS 1978-12B/172.
17.
Dingler to Thüring, March 10, 1940. Aschaffenburg, Hofbibliothek, Dingler estate.
18.
Glaser: Accusation against Gerlach, October 21, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
19.
Dingler to Thüring, October 6, 1940. Aschaffenburg, Hofbibliothek, Dingler estate.
20.
Scherzer, Physik, 1965; Beyerchen, Wissenschaftler, 1982, Chapter 9; Hentschel/Hentschel, Physics, 1996, p. 341; Eckert, Deutsche Physik, 2007, p. 155.
21.
Scherzer, Physik, 1965, p. 57.
22.
Beyerchen, Wissenschaftler, 1982, p. 241.
23.
From Heisenberg, December 4, 1940. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,136. Also in ASWB II.
24.
From Laue, December 4, 1940. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,197. Also in ASWB II.
25.
“Entjudung,” literally, “un-Jewing”.
26.
Müller, Lage, 1940, p. 295.
27.
Stark/Müller, Deutsche Physik, 1941, pp. 21–22, 30.
28.
Litten, Mechanik, 2000, p. 105.
29.
Thüring to Müller, June 24, 1941. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
30.
Glaser to Müller, September 29, 1941. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
31.
Müller to Geisler, September 18, 1942. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
32.
Müller to Geisler, January 4, 1943. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
33.
Müller to Bomke, January 4, 1943. Transcript. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
34.
Litten, Mechanik, 2000, pp. 107–110.
35.
Müller to Wüst, June 23, 1941. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
36.
To Prandtl, October 10, 1941. MPGA, III. Abt., Rep. 61, Nr. 1538. Also in ASWB II.
37.
“Aufgeschoben ist nicht aufgehoben!” From Prandtl, October 22, 1941. MPGA, III. Abt., Rep. 61, Nr. 1538. Also in ASWB II.
38.
Reprinted in Vogel-Prandtl, Ludwig Prandtl, 2005, pp. 210–214.
39.
From Prandtl, November 13, 1941. MPGA, III. Abt., Rep. 61, Nr. 1538. Also in ASWB II.
40.
Eckert, Deutsche Physik, 2007; Hoffmann, Ramsauer-Ära, 2007.
41.
To Prandtl, March 12, 1942. MPGA, III. Abt., Rep. 61, Nr. 1538. Also in ASWB II.
42.
Litten, Mechanik, 2000, p. 130.
43.
Müller to Wüst, June 28, 1942. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
44.
Müller to the Aerodynamic Laboratory, October 31, 1942. DMA, NL 89, 030, file Müller.
45.
Quoted from Litten, Mechanik, 2000, p. 128.
46.
Thüring to Dingler, November 2, 1942. Aschaffenburg, Hofbibliothek, Dingler estate.
47.
Beyerchen, Wissenschaftler, 1982, p. 258.
48.
Litten, Carathéodory-Nachfolge, 1994; Hashagen, Constantin Carathéodory, 2010, pp. 15–16.
49.
To Steenbeck, October 26, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 018, folder 3,12. Also in ASWB II.
50.
From Steenbeck, October 31, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 018, folder 3,12.
51.
From W. Meißner, October 26, 1941. DMA, NL 89, 017, folder 2,4.
52.
From Weizsäcker, January 28, 1942. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,359.
53.
To Eucken, April 17, 1943. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,86; from Stueckelberg, December 26, 1944. DMA, NL 89, 013.
54.
Beyler/Eckert/Hoffmann, Planck-Medaille, 2007, p. 231.
55.
Files on Sommerfeld in the possession of the “Berlin Document Center,” BAB, VBS 307, 8200002950.
56.
Personnel files Sommerfeld, UAM, E-II-3187.
57.
Bonolis, Giovanni Gentile Jr., 2008.
58.
Sommerfeld, Zwanzig Jahre, 1942, p. 123.
59.
Sommerfeld, Quantenstatistik, 1942.
60.
To Johanna, April 19, 1942.
61.
To Heisenberg, June 17, 1942. Munich, Max-Planck-Institute for Physics; from Heisenberg, June 19, 1942. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,136.
62.
From Wick, August 28, 1942. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,366.
63.
From Wick, 24. February 24, and March 22, 1943. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,366.
64.
To Johanna, April 19, 1942.
65.
To Buchwald, July 13, 1943. Danzig, Technical University, Atomphysik, Sommerfeld.
66.
Rust to Wüst, March 6, 1942. UAM, E-II-3187. Also in DMA, NL 89, 024, folder Nazizeit.
67.
To Buchwald, July 13, 1943. Danzig, Technical University, Atomphysik, Sommerfeld.
68.
“Als Rudolph Heß nach Schottland flog, an Hitler,” May 13, 1941:
Nun fängt es an! Die stolze Zwingburg zittert
Ein Eckstein wich, es knistert im Gebälk,
Unheimlich Leben durch die Mauern schlittert
Was grün nach außen schien, ist innen welk!
Das Leid das du gesät millionenfach
Anklagend hebt und drohend seine Hände,
Und tritt noch je der Schlaf in dein Gemach
Siehst du im Traum gespensterbleich das Ende!
Dir frommt nicht Flucht! Die aller Welt bekannt,
Die Lügenfratze kannst Du nirgend bergen,
Dein Turm zu Babel hält der Zeit nicht stand,
Die heut noch jubeln, werden deine Schergen.
Und spricht man einst ’wie von dem schwarzen Tod’
Von dir, wenn lang verfielst du dem Gerichte,
Zählt man dich unterm Banner blutigrot
den größten Teufeln zu der Weltgeschichte!
69.
Schmidt, Rudolf Heß, 1997.
70.
To Ernst, April 28, 1940.
71.
From Planck, Ma23, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 012. Also in ASWB II.
72.
To Ernst, February 22, 1940.
73.
From Harms, February 12, 1940. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,132.
74.
To Ernst, 20. April 1940.
75.
From NVK, June 3, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 020, folder 7,2.
76.
Renner, Theorie, 1937.
77.
On individual research projects, see BA-MA, M 697 E. On organization, see Krauß, Rüstung, 2006, pp. 165–174.
78.
Transcription of a conference on August 30, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 020, folder 7,3.
79.
To Ernst, September 13, 1940.
80.
To Ernst, January 14, 1945.
81.
To Ernst, February 3, 1945.
82.
Interview with Fritz Renner, November 25, 1996.
83.
Sommerfeld/Renner, Strahlungsenergie, 1942.
84.
To Buchwald, July 13, 1943. Danzig, Technical University, Atomphysik, Sommerfeld.
85.
To Ernst, August 12, 1944.
86.
To Ernst, May 20, 1943.
87.
From Hirzel, February 15, 1909. DMA, NL 89, 009; from Planck, February 24, 1909. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,263. Also in ASWB I.
88.
Seth, Quantum Theory, 2004.
89.
To Hirzel, 30. June 30, 1924. DMA, NL 89, 004. Also in ASWB II.
90.
To Prandtl, October 10, 1941. MPGA, III. Abt., Rep. 61, Nr. 1538. Also in ASWB II.
91.
To Christlein, March 5, 1942.
92.
From Christlein, March 30, 1942. DMA, NL 89, 020, folder 7,1.
93.
From Maue, October 5, 1942. DMA, NL 89, 020, folder 7,1.
94.
From Romberg, December 28, 1943. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,290. Also in ASWB II.
95.
To Ernst, December 21, 1943.
96.
From Prandtl, February 15, 1944, February 19, 1944, and February 20, 1945; to Prandtl, February 24, 1944, November 3, 1944, and January 31, 1945. MPGA, III. Abt., Rep. 61, Nr. 1538. Also in ASWB II.
97.
To Jordan, September 8, 1945. SBPK, Jordan 606.
98.
From Heisenberg, October 8, 1942. DMA, NL 89, 024, folder Nazizeit. Also in ASWB II.
99.
To W. Becker, October 15, 1942. DMA, NL 89, 024, folder Nazizeit. Also in ASWB II.
100.
To Heisenberg, October 14, 1942. München, Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, Heisenberg, alphabetical. Also in ASWB II.
101.
Sommerfeld, Vorlesungen I, 1943, pp. 15 and 203.
102.
Sommerfeld, Vorlesungen I, 1944.
103.
Sommerfeld, Vorlesungen I, 1943, p. VI.
104.
From Stückelberg, July 21, 1943. DMA, NL 89, 013. (“Votre livre sur la mécanique trouve beaucoup de succès chez nous […] en effet mes étudiants de Lausanne ont déjà commandé toute la série.”).
105.
Autobiographical Sketch, ASGS IV, p. 679.

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Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany
Michael Eckert

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Eckert, M. (2013). Bitter Years. In: Arnold Sommerfeld. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7461-6_12

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7461-6_12
Published: 24 May 2013
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7460-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7461-6
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