were of tremendous economic significance. The latter included the first
polyacrylic compounds, some of which were used later on to manufacture
excellent materials such as Orlon and Acrilan and strong, transparent plastics
such as Plexiglas. These products alone were enough to form the basis for an
extensive and large plastics industry” ([23], p. 104; cf. [10], p. 15).
• “Global production of high-molecular materials (plastics, synthetic resins,
chemical fibres etc.) amounted to 100,000 tonnes in 1933, 1 million tonnes in
1950 and more than 2 million tonnes in 1953” (source: www.benzolring.de).
From purely empirical optimisation of materials to molecular material design –
this, in a nutshell, is the most tangible progress that has been made thanks to
Staudinger’s macromolecular concept and that is highlighted when tribute is paid
to Staudinger’s historical achievements. His “concept [. . .] that was revolutionary
at the time paved the way for the molecular design of functional and decorative
polymer materials, the property profiles of which are customised for specific
applications via the molecular architectures” [24, p. 1072].
2.9 Rejection in Du ¨sseldorf
All of this was of course still a long way off at the beginning of the 1920s, when the
macromolecule concept was still in its infancy. Irrefutable experimental proof of
the existence of macromolecular substances had not yet been obtained; some
20 dissertations (cf. [17], p. 65) were compiled at Staudinger’s Institute of Organic
Chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich between 1920 and
1926 for this purpose, the results of which Staudinger presented to the Society of
German Natural Science Researchers and Doctors when it met in Du ¨sseldorf on
23 September 1926 [25]. Instead of the triumphal reception he hoped for, Staudinger found himself almost completely isolated: “Everyone [. . .] rejected
Staudinger’s theory as being thoroughly untenable. Only Richard Willsta ¨tter
(1872–1942, editor’s note), the winner of the Nobel Prize (in 1915, editor’s note)
declared to his astonished colleagues at the end of the meeting that he was now of
the opinion that Staudinger had provided experimental proof of the existence of
long chain molecules” ([18], p. 232 and cf. [11], p. 48). The physical chemist
Hermann Mark (1895–1992), who was another of the speakers in Du ¨sseldorf, put it
more cautiously: “Willsta ¨tter [. . .], the Chairman, indicated in reticent form during
his final remarks that he supported the macromolecular concept” ([26], p. 482;
quoted in [16], p. 82).
Staudinger faced further resistance from colleagues the same year when he left
the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich after 14 years of successful
work to take up a position at Albert-Ludwigs-Universita ¨t Freiburg as successor to
Heinrich Wieland (1887–1957), who in turn followed Richard Willsta ¨tter at
Munich Technical University. Staudinger was to stay committed to Freiburg until
he retired in the spring of 1951 at the age of 70, remaining the highly respected
Courageous Questioning of Established Thinking: The Life and Work of Hermann. . .
97
polyacrylic compounds, some of which were used later on to manufacture
excellent materials such as Orlon and Acrilan and strong, transparent plastics
such as Plexiglas. These products alone were enough to form the basis for an
extensive and large plastics industry” ([23], p. 104; cf. [10], p. 15).
• “Global production of high-molecular materials (plastics, synthetic resins,
chemical fibres etc.) amounted to 100,000 tonnes in 1933, 1 million tonnes in
1950 and more than 2 million tonnes in 1953” (source: www.benzolring.de).
From purely empirical optimisation of materials to molecular material design –
this, in a nutshell, is the most tangible progress that has been made thanks to
Staudinger’s macromolecular concept and that is highlighted when tribute is paid
to Staudinger’s historical achievements. His “concept [. . .] that was revolutionary
at the time paved the way for the molecular design of functional and decorative
polymer materials, the property profiles of which are customised for specific
applications via the molecular architectures” [24, p. 1072].
2.9 Rejection in Du ¨sseldorf
All of this was of course still a long way off at the beginning of the 1920s, when the
macromolecule concept was still in its infancy. Irrefutable experimental proof of
the existence of macromolecular substances had not yet been obtained; some
20 dissertations (cf. [17], p. 65) were compiled at Staudinger’s Institute of Organic
Chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich between 1920 and
1926 for this purpose, the results of which Staudinger presented to the Society of
German Natural Science Researchers and Doctors when it met in Du ¨sseldorf on
23 September 1926 [25]. Instead of the triumphal reception he hoped for, Staudinger found himself almost completely isolated: “Everyone [. . .] rejected
Staudinger’s theory as being thoroughly untenable. Only Richard Willsta ¨tter
(1872–1942, editor’s note), the winner of the Nobel Prize (in 1915, editor’s note)
declared to his astonished colleagues at the end of the meeting that he was now of
the opinion that Staudinger had provided experimental proof of the existence of
long chain molecules” ([18], p. 232 and cf. [11], p. 48). The physical chemist
Hermann Mark (1895–1992), who was another of the speakers in Du ¨sseldorf, put it
more cautiously: “Willsta ¨tter [. . .], the Chairman, indicated in reticent form during
his final remarks that he supported the macromolecular concept” ([26], p. 482;
quoted in [16], p. 82).
Staudinger faced further resistance from colleagues the same year when he left
the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich after 14 years of successful
work to take up a position at Albert-Ludwigs-Universita ¨t Freiburg as successor to
Heinrich Wieland (1887–1957), who in turn followed Richard Willsta ¨tter at
Munich Technical University. Staudinger was to stay committed to Freiburg until
he retired in the spring of 1951 at the age of 70, remaining the highly respected
Courageous Questioning of Established Thinking: The Life and Work of Hermann. . .
97