The move to Berlin also ‘re-united’ Haber with Robert who was still at the
‘Auer’, and who in turn welcomed a new life shortly after the Habers’ arrival,
as Emily gave birth to their first son, John Augustin, at 108
Prinzregentenstrasse on 25 September 1911, the notice of his birth appearing
in The Times on Friday 29 September 1911. Robert probably saw John
Augustin’s birth as rationalising the deep sadness of his father’s sudden death
the previous year, and it is of course quite probable that Robert and Emily
shared their joy with the Habers at this time, but no biographical record
remains to support this conjecture. Meanwhile at Ludwigshafen, another of
Robert’s progeny was receiving some serious attention at a highly accomplished ‘finishing school’ but, as is often the case with a ‘boarder’, little of
what was to finally graduate was attributable to its parents. The next Chapter
in our story therefore deals with the industrialisation of the Haber-Le
Rossignol process, but contrary to the popular name ‘Haber-Bosch’ process,
neither Haber nor Le Rossignol had much input here.
Notes
1. This work was due to Alwin Mittasch. His catalysts have hardly been
improved upon even today. From, Dietrich Stoltzenberg, Fritz Haber.
Chemist, Noble Laureate, German, Jew. Chemical Heritage Press,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (2004). p. 90. Source, BASF to Haber, 13
January 1910, MPG., Dept., Va., Rep 5.
2. Stoltzenberg, op. cit. (note 1), p. 90. Source, Haber to BASF, 14 January
1910, MPG., Dept., Va., Rep 5.
3. This description has been adapted from, S. J. Le Rossignol, Historical Notes
(Local and General) with special reference to the Le Rossignol Family (and its
connections in Jersey), Trowbridge, (1917), p. 181.
4. A copy of Augustin’s Will was obtained from the Jersey Archive, Clarence
Road, St. Helier, Jersey. JE2 4JY.
5. From the Great Western Shareholders Register 1835–1932. Augustin
invested in 1889, and Robert kept his father’s shares at least until 1925.
6. A quote from Ralph Chirnside’s sensitive Obituary of Robert; R.
C. Chirnside, ‘Robert Le Rossignol, 1884–1976’, Chemistry in Britain, 13,
269–271, (1977).
7. Le Rossignol, op. cit. (note 3), p. 132.
8. Stoltzenberg, op. cit. (note 1), p. 90. ‘Über die Nutzbarmachung des
Stickstoffs’
(Making
nitrogen
useable),
Verbandlungen
des
Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Karlsruhe, 23, (1909/1910), and F. Haber,
‘Über die Darstellung des Ammoniaks aus Stickstoff und Wasserstoff’, (‘The
synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen), Z. Elektrochemie 16,
244, (1910).
208
D. Sheppard
‘Auer’, and who in turn welcomed a new life shortly after the Habers’ arrival,
as Emily gave birth to their first son, John Augustin, at 108
Prinzregentenstrasse on 25 September 1911, the notice of his birth appearing
in The Times on Friday 29 September 1911. Robert probably saw John
Augustin’s birth as rationalising the deep sadness of his father’s sudden death
the previous year, and it is of course quite probable that Robert and Emily
shared their joy with the Habers at this time, but no biographical record
remains to support this conjecture. Meanwhile at Ludwigshafen, another of
Robert’s progeny was receiving some serious attention at a highly accomplished ‘finishing school’ but, as is often the case with a ‘boarder’, little of
what was to finally graduate was attributable to its parents. The next Chapter
in our story therefore deals with the industrialisation of the Haber-Le
Rossignol process, but contrary to the popular name ‘Haber-Bosch’ process,
neither Haber nor Le Rossignol had much input here.
Notes
1. This work was due to Alwin Mittasch. His catalysts have hardly been
improved upon even today. From, Dietrich Stoltzenberg, Fritz Haber.
Chemist, Noble Laureate, German, Jew. Chemical Heritage Press,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (2004). p. 90. Source, BASF to Haber, 13
January 1910, MPG., Dept., Va., Rep 5.
2. Stoltzenberg, op. cit. (note 1), p. 90. Source, Haber to BASF, 14 January
1910, MPG., Dept., Va., Rep 5.
3. This description has been adapted from, S. J. Le Rossignol, Historical Notes
(Local and General) with special reference to the Le Rossignol Family (and its
connections in Jersey), Trowbridge, (1917), p. 181.
4. A copy of Augustin’s Will was obtained from the Jersey Archive, Clarence
Road, St. Helier, Jersey. JE2 4JY.
5. From the Great Western Shareholders Register 1835–1932. Augustin
invested in 1889, and Robert kept his father’s shares at least until 1925.
6. A quote from Ralph Chirnside’s sensitive Obituary of Robert; R.
C. Chirnside, ‘Robert Le Rossignol, 1884–1976’, Chemistry in Britain, 13,
269–271, (1977).
7. Le Rossignol, op. cit. (note 3), p. 132.
8. Stoltzenberg, op. cit. (note 1), p. 90. ‘Über die Nutzbarmachung des
Stickstoffs’
(Making
nitrogen
useable),
Verbandlungen
des
Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins in Karlsruhe, 23, (1909/1910), and F. Haber,
‘Über die Darstellung des Ammoniaks aus Stickstoff und Wasserstoff’, (‘The
synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen), Z. Elektrochemie 16,
244, (1910).
208
D. Sheppard