During his final year at Berlin however, a chance event began to sow the
seeds of progress in Haber’s mind. He met and became friends with a fellow
student named Richard Abegg, the talented son of a wealthy Berlin banker
who introduced him to the new science of ‘physical chemistry’. At last, here
was an aspect of his chosen subject that captivated Haber. Understanding and
applying the mathematical laws that governed the feasibility, spontaneity and
progress of chemical reactions and which simultaneously translated physical
properties in terms of atomic/molecular structure attracted him but there was
still the small matter of his degree to be attended to and he returned to
Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität to sit his final examination in chemistry,
physics and philosophy on 29 May 1891. Haber’s performance in the
examination was mixed; his philosophy was very good—he was examined by
Dilthey, a teacher he respected—his chemistry was adequate but his physics
was quite poor. Overall, he was an unremarkable student, but because of
Dilthey’s assessment he graduated cum laude
18 and returned to Breslau to
ponder his future. At the same time, Richard Abegg also received his degree
from Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität and both he and Haber wrote to
Ostwald asking to study at his laboratory. Abegg was accepted, Haber was
not.
2.4 Takin’ Care of Business
Fritz Haber was the only member of his family to want to attend University.
The award of his Dr. Phil. degree both vindicated his chosen path and
afforded him the distinction of being called ‘Dr Haber’, but it was always the
intention of Siegfried that his son, in due course, should carry on the family
business. Dyes and pharmaceuticals of course were chemicals, but Fritz had
only rudimentary knowledge of the industrial aspects of their production. Still
plagued by indecision and with no obvious career path, Siegfried used his
influence to allow Fritz to gain technical experience of the chemical industry
and over the next few months he spent time at three different factories; a
cellulose plant in Feldmϋhle near Breslau, a distillery in Budapest and a
modern ‘soda’ (sodium carbonate) factory in Kraków, Poland.
19 These
placements had a number of effects on Fritz Haber. Firstly, he realised that
there were large gaps in his understanding of chemical technology, secondly,
he realised that the chemical industry afforded him little personal satisfaction,
but thirdly at the soda plant, he saw at first hand what massive industrial
investment in a crucial raw material for so many of Europe’s industries could
achieve, and he was impressed.
44
D. Sheppard
seeds of progress in Haber’s mind. He met and became friends with a fellow
student named Richard Abegg, the talented son of a wealthy Berlin banker
who introduced him to the new science of ‘physical chemistry’. At last, here
was an aspect of his chosen subject that captivated Haber. Understanding and
applying the mathematical laws that governed the feasibility, spontaneity and
progress of chemical reactions and which simultaneously translated physical
properties in terms of atomic/molecular structure attracted him but there was
still the small matter of his degree to be attended to and he returned to
Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität to sit his final examination in chemistry,
physics and philosophy on 29 May 1891. Haber’s performance in the
examination was mixed; his philosophy was very good—he was examined by
Dilthey, a teacher he respected—his chemistry was adequate but his physics
was quite poor. Overall, he was an unremarkable student, but because of
Dilthey’s assessment he graduated cum laude
18 and returned to Breslau to
ponder his future. At the same time, Richard Abegg also received his degree
from Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität and both he and Haber wrote to
Ostwald asking to study at his laboratory. Abegg was accepted, Haber was
not.
2.4 Takin’ Care of Business
Fritz Haber was the only member of his family to want to attend University.
The award of his Dr. Phil. degree both vindicated his chosen path and
afforded him the distinction of being called ‘Dr Haber’, but it was always the
intention of Siegfried that his son, in due course, should carry on the family
business. Dyes and pharmaceuticals of course were chemicals, but Fritz had
only rudimentary knowledge of the industrial aspects of their production. Still
plagued by indecision and with no obvious career path, Siegfried used his
influence to allow Fritz to gain technical experience of the chemical industry
and over the next few months he spent time at three different factories; a
cellulose plant in Feldmϋhle near Breslau, a distillery in Budapest and a
modern ‘soda’ (sodium carbonate) factory in Kraków, Poland.
19 These
placements had a number of effects on Fritz Haber. Firstly, he realised that
there were large gaps in his understanding of chemical technology, secondly,
he realised that the chemical industry afforded him little personal satisfaction,
but thirdly at the soda plant, he saw at first hand what massive industrial
investment in a crucial raw material for so many of Europe’s industries could
achieve, and he was impressed.
44
D. Sheppard