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Carrying On

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Arnold Sommerfeld
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Abstract

The end of the “obscenity” at Sommerfeld’s former institute came in the summer of 1944 when the University was largely destroyed in bombing raids on Munich. Müller was evacuated to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The city of Munich capitulated on April 30, 1945. Walther Wüst, the “Führer” Rector who had administered the University in the spirit of National Socialism for the past years, was arrested by the American Military Police and interned at Dachau. He was replaced by Albert Rehm (1871–1949), a known opponent of Nazism, who had occupied the post of Rector before 1933. On July 12, 1945, Müller was dismissed from his position. By the end of August, a total of 33 professors and 63 assistants had lost their positions, and in the following weeks and months, further dismissals ensued. Of a total of around 250 professors at the University, only 60 had not been Party members. Not until the spring of 1946 did the military government permit the various faculties of the University of Munich to resume instruction.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Huber, Universität, 1984; Müller, Universitäten, 1997; Boehm/Spörl, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 1972, p. 369; Schreiber, Walther Wüst, 2008, p. 347; Litten, Mechanik, 2000, p. 159; Wiecki, Denazification, 2008, pp. 537 und 541.

  2. 2.

    Ernst Brüche zitiert in Hentschel, Mentalität, 2005, p. 32.

  3. 3.

    Law Nr. 104 for Liberation from National Socialism and Militarism http://www.verfassungen.de/de/bw/wuerttemberg-baden/wuertt-b-befreiungsgesetz46.htm (31 January 2013). On denazification in the American zone of occupation, see Tent, Mission, 1982.

  4. 4.

    From Tomaschek, July 25, 1945. DMA, NL 89, 013. Also in ASWB II.

  5. 5.

    From Heisenberg, January 5, 1941. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,136. Also in ASWB II.

  6. 6.

    To Tomaschek (draft), undated. DMA, NL 89, 013. Also in ASWB II. On Tomaschek‘s career at the TH Munich, see Wengenroth, Aufruhr, 1993.

  7. 7.

    Registration form, in DMA, NL 89, 008. The NS organizations listed were (in this order) the NSDAP, Allg.-SS, Waffen-SS, Gestapo, SD (Secret Service) of the SS, Secret Rural Police, SA, NSKK (NS.-Motor Corps), NSFK (NS.-Pilot Corps), NSF (NS.-Women’s Organization), NSDSTB (NS.-Student League), NSDoB (NS.-Lecturers’ League), Hitler Youth, and German Girls’ League.

  8. 8.

    No tribunal file exists on Arnold Sommerfeld in the State Archive at Munich (StAM).

  9. 9.

    To the Rector, August 9, 1945. DMA, NL 89, 018.

  10. 10.

    “SS-Oberführer.” Selmayr to Eisenhower Headquarters, May 2, 1945. DMA, NL 89, 020, folder 8,3.

  11. 11.

    Draft, May 1945. DMA, NL 89, 020, folder 8,3.

  12. 12.

    An ironic allusion to the Horst Wessel Song, from 1930 to 1945, anthem of the Nazi Party, and from 1933 to 1945, the conational anthem of Germany (with Deutschland über alles). The second line is “SA marschiert mit ruhig festem Schritt,” in English, “SA marches [or, SA is marching]. . ..”

  13. 13.

    Spruchkammerakte Selmayr, Karton 1518, StAM. Wagner, Hans Leipelt, 2003.

  14. 14.

    To the Office of the Rector of the University of Munich, October 25, 1945. DMA, NL 89, 030, folder Hochschulangelegenheiten.

  15. 15.

    Tribunal file on Welker, Box 1944. StAM.

  16. 16.

    To Heisenberg, February 17, 1946. München, Max-Planck-Institut für Physik. Also in ASWB II.

  17. 17.

    From Heisenberg, February 5, 1946. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,136. Also in ASWB II.

  18. 18.

    To Heisenberg, February 17, 1946. München, Max-Planck-Institut für Physik. Also in ASWB II.

  19. 19.

    Friendly physicists had arranged research assignments classified as “militarily critical” for him. For a comprehensive overview, see Swinne, Richard Gans, 1992.

  20. 20.

    Gans to the Bavarian Ministry of Culture, November 19, 1945. BayHStA, MK 69781.

  21. 21.

    To Gans, December 6, 1945. Quoted in Swinne, Richard Gans, 1992, pp. 133–134.

  22. 22.

    Reichenbach, Richard Gans, 2009.

  23. 23.

    Clusius to the Rector, January 4, 1946. UAM, OC-IX-070.

  24. 24.

    Bavarian Ministry of Culture to the Rector of the University of Munich, March 26, 1946. BayHStA, MK 69781.

  25. 25.

    Gerlach to Gans, November 12, 1946. Quoted in Swinne, Richard Gans, 1992, p. 139.

  26. 26.

    From the Bavarian Ministry of Culture, March 14, 1946; to the Rector, May 24, 1946. UAM, E-II-3187.

  27. 27.

    Gerlach to Gans, November 27, 1946. Cited in Swinne, Richard Gans, 1992, pp. 139–140.

  28. 28.

    Gans to the Dean, July 16, 1946. UAM, OC-VIII-3.

  29. 29.

    Gans to the Dean, December 24, 1946. UAM, E-II-01403.

  30. 30.

    Handel, Halbleiterforschung, 1998, pp. 122–125.

  31. 31.

    From Weizsäcker, November 16, 1946. DMA, NL 89, 014. Also in ASWB II.

  32. 32.

    From Heisenberg, February 7, 1947. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,136. Also in ASWB II.

  33. 33.

    To Bechert, February 15, 1947. Bremen, private possession.

  34. 34.

    To Bethe, November 1, 1946. DMA, NL 89, 015. Also in ASWB II.

  35. 35.

    From Bethe, May 20, 1947. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,19. Also in ASWB II.

  36. 36.

    No birth and death dates found.

  37. 37.

    From Mann, Februar7 3, 1947. UAM, OC-VIII-3.

  38. 38.

    Entry, January 9, 1947. BayHStA, MK 69781.

  39. 39.

    Ministry of Culture to the Office of the Rector of the University of Munich, May 28, 1947. BayHStA, MK 69781.

  40. 40.

    To Ernst, March 2, 1947.

  41. 41.

    Dean to the Ministry of Culture,. July 4, 1947. BayHStA, MK 69781.

  42. 42.

    Office of the Rector to the Ministry of Culture, July 7, 1947. UAM, E-II-00948.

  43. 43.

    From Elwert, December 2, 1946. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,82.

  44. 44.

    To Bopp, April 25, 1947. DMA, NL 89, 006. Also in ASWB II.

  45. 45.

    From Bopp, May 10, 1947. DMA, NL 89, 006. Also in ASWB II.

  46. 46.

    To Bopp, May 15, 1947. DMA, NL 89, 006.

  47. 47.

    Dean to the Ministry of Culture, July 4, 1947. BayHStA, MK 69781.

  48. 48.

    Ministry of Culture to Bopp, August 10, 1947; Bopp to the Ministry of Culture. August 17, 1947. BayHStA, MK 69781.

  49. 49.

    UAM, E-II-00948.

  50. 50.

    To Heisenberg, September 24, 1947. Munich, Max-Planck-Institut für Physik.

  51. 51.

    Minister of Culture (Hundhammer) to the Rector, August 26, 1947, and January 15, 1948. UAM, E-II-01391.

  52. 52.

    From Ewald, November 28, 1947.

  53. 53.

    To Heisenberg, January 15, 1948. Munich, Max-Planck-Institut für Physik. Also in ASWB II.

  54. 54.

    From Ewald, April 1, 1947. DMA, 007. Also in ASWB II. Smyth, General Account, 1945.

  55. 55.

    From Bethe, May 20, 1947. DMA, HS 1977-28/A,19. Also in ASWB II.

  56. 56.

    From Pauli, October 31, 1947. CERN (PLC). Also in ASWB II.

  57. 57.

    Schweber, QED, 1994, Chap. 5.

  58. 58.

    Lamb/Retherford, Fine Structure, 1947, p. 241, cited in Forman, Swords, 1995, p. 426

  59. 59.

    Schweber, QED, 1994, Chap. 5.6.

  60. 60.

    Josef Brandmüller and Eduard Rüchardt: Zum Problem der spektroskopischen Einheiten. Manuscript, December 4, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 042.

  61. 61.

    To Lamb and Retherford, May 30, 1950. Also in ASWB II, pp. 644–645.

  62. 62.

    From Herzfeld, January 9, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 009.

  63. 63.

    Correspondence with Ramberg in DMA, NL 89, 012 and 043.

  64. 64.

    Sommerfeld, Atomphysik, 1945.

  65. 65.

    To Heisenberg, January 15, 1948. Munich, Max-Planck-Institut für Physik. Also in ASWB II.

  66. 66.

    Der Spiegel, 12/1951, p. 26.

  67. 67.

    From Buchta, November 26, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 005. Also in ASWB II.

  68. 68.

    From Buchta, January 13, 1923. DMA, NL 89, 019, folder 4,1; to Buchta, 14. December 14, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 043.

  69. 69.

    From Beth, February 6, 1949; from Jacoby, March 12, 1949. DMA, NL 89, 005.

  70. 70.

    From Scherzer, November 18, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 043.

  71. 71.

    Kirkpatrick, Recipient, 1949, pp. 313–314.

  72. 72.

    To Pauling, March 6, 1949. Corvallis, Oregon State University, Special Collections, Pauling Papers.

  73. 73.

    Sommerfeld, Reminiscences, 1949.

  74. 74.

    Kaiser, Cold War, 2002, p. 135, Fig. 2.

  75. 75.

    Gimbel, Project Paperclip, 1990.

  76. 76.

    Metzler, Internationale Wissenschaft, 2000; Metzler, Nationalismus, 2002.

  77. 77.

    DMA, NL 89, 017, folder 2.5.

  78. 78.

    From Millikan, November 26, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 042. Also in ASWB II.

  79. 79.

    From Grotrian, November 20, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 042.

  80. 80.

    From Magnus, December 4, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 042.

  81. 81.

    From Rheinfelder, December 2, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 042. The entry is to be found in Sommerfeld‘s personnel files dated November 23, 1943, under the rubric: Vormerkung betr. 75. Geburtstag von Arnold Sommerfeld (note regarding the 75th birthday of Arnold Sommerfeld). BayHStA, MK 35736.

  82. 82.

    Heisenberg, Arnold Sommerfeld, 1948.

  83. 83.

    Heisenberg, Turbulenzproblem, 1948; Davidson/Kaneda/Moffatt/Sreenivasan, Voyage, 2011.

  84. 84.

    Weizsäcker, Rotation, 1948.

  85. 85.

    Elwert, Absorptionskoeffizient, 1948.

  86. 86.

    Welker, Modell, 1948.

  87. 87.

    Meixner, Theorie der Beugung, 1948; Sauter, Schwingungstheorie, 1948; Niessen, Earth’s Constants, 1948.

  88. 88.

    Sommerfeld, Quantenstatistik, 1942 and 1946.

  89. 89.

    Dingle, Helium II, 1952, p. 123.

  90. 90.

    Sommerfeld, Kolbenmembran, 1943; Sommerfeld, Berichtigungen, 1948.

  91. 91.

    To the Nachrichtenmittel-Versuchskommando, June 25, 1940. DMA, NL 89, 020, folder 7,2.

  92. 92.

    To Herglotz, October 2, 1943. SUB, Herglotz F 135.

  93. 93.

    Sommerfeld/Ramberg, Drehmoment, 1950.

  94. 94.

    From Ramberg, March 6, 1950. DMA, NL 89, 012. Sommerfeld/Bopp, Problem, 1950.

  95. 95.

    To Schrödinger, May 31, 1946. DMA, NL 89, 015.

  96. 96.

    To Portig, 22. October 22, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 005.

  97. 97.

    See summary in ASGS IV, pp. 685–686.

  98. 98.

    From Jacoby, December 16, 1948. DMA, NL 89, 005.

  99. 99.

    From Ewald, November 16, 1949.

  100. 100.

    From Wenzl, December 24, 1947.

  101. 101.

    From Anton Weiher, Christmas, 1947.

  102. 102.

    To Bechert, December 13, 1947. Bonn, Archive of the Ebert Foundation (Karl Bechert estate).

  103. 103.

    From Brünings, April 16, 1947. DMA, NL 89, 006.

  104. 104.

    To Helene Rhumbler, July 1, 1948.

  105. 105.

    To Landé, December, 1948. SBPK, Landé, 70 Sommerfeld; to Grimm, 7. October 7, 1948. DMA, HS 1978-12B/172; Sommerfeld, Philosophie, 1948; Zwanglose Gesellschaft, Hundertfünfzig Jahre, 1987, p. 157.

  106. 106.

    Sommerfeld, Philosophie, p. 100.

  107. 107.

    Sommerfeld, Albert Einstein, 1949, pp. 145–146.

  108. 108.

    Sommerfeld, Philosophie, 1948, p. 100.

  109. 109.

    To Einstein, August 4, 1948. AEA, Einstein. Also in ASWB II.

  110. 110.

    From Einstein, September 5, 1948. AEA, Einstein. Also in ASWB II.

  111. 111.

    Sommerfeld, Albert Einstein, 1949, S. 145.

  112. 112.

    Draft reply to Jacoby, September 9, 1949. DMA, NL 89, 005.

  113. 113.

    From Ramberg, May 29, 1950. DMA, NL 89, 012.

  114. 114.

    From John von Neumann, September 18, 1950. DMA, NL 89, 011.

  115. 115.

    Walcher, Physikalische Gesellschaften, 1995.

  116. 116.

    From Laue, August 26, 1950. DMA, NL 89, 010.

  117. 117.

    Sommerfeld, Planck-Medaille, 1950.

  118. 118.

    Ernst Sommerfeld to Bechert, April 27, 1951. Bonn, Archive of the Ebert Foundation (Karl Bechert estate).

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Eckert, M. (2013). Carrying On. In: Arnold Sommerfeld. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7461-6_13

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