Staudinger ([40], p. 22). This was particularly the case for the premises, which were
located in Staudinger’s own home to start with: “A white, somewhat weatherbeaten, wooden sign saying ‘Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry’ was to be
found on the garden gate at Lugostrasse 14” [41]. When Staudinger was awarded
the Nobel Prize in this situation, the Handelsblatt from Du ¨sseldorf issued the
following appeal on 6 November 1953:
Although Staudinger’s research institute is a state facility, its budget is so inadequate that
large personal sacrifices have been necessary to enable it to continue operating. The ‘Fonds
der chemischen Industrie’ made DEM 10,000 available a few days ago, but perhaps the
state of Baden-Wu ¨rttemberg will now at long last decide to make a generous extension to
the institute. There can be no doubt that this would be the honour that Staudinger would
appreciate most as a result of the Nobel Prize!
Staudinger’s own plan to develop the government research institute of macromolecular chemistry into a federal institute “in line with its importance for the
modern chemical industry and to broaden its financial basis” [42] came to nothing
due to a lack of support. When Staudinger resigned from the position of head of the
institute as agreed in 1956, the Baden-Wu ¨rttemberg Ministry of Education
established an extraordinary professorship for macromolecular chemistry – the
University Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry was set up and then, in 1962,
moved to a new building that is known today as “Hermann-Staudinger-Haus”
(cf. [40], p. 22).
On 23 March 1956, Staudinger’s 75th birthday, Albert Ludwigs University in
Freiburg held an official ceremony, at which Staudinger was honoured in appropriate fashion as he retired from his position as honorary head of the institute.
The university rector, Bernhard Welte (1908–1983), a professor of philosophy of
religion, spoke at the ceremony:
Thirty years ago now, you created an opening in the dark wall of nature, which science is
constantly trying to illuminate and penetrate. [. . .] Today, the opening is so large that an
entire world has gone through it – and is still going through it. The entire world of industry,
of fibres and plastics, spread throughout all the countries of the earth, without which our
lives today would no longer be conceivable, and the entire world of all those who use these
fibres and plastics of many different kinds. [. . .] A huge new field of science, business and
life has developed behind the opening that you made [. . .] with your scientific work!
(Quoted in [1], p. 305)
Asked about his plans for the future just after he won the Nobel Prize, Staudinger
had already revealed his intention to start studying botany again – the subject that
he gave up in favour of chemistry when he was a young man (see Sect. 1:
“1881–1919”): “He studied chemistry because this was the basic science that
preceded botany. ‘Now [. . .] the time has come to start studying botany.’ The
Nobel Prize winner [. . .] plans to be become a student. That’s the way it is – you
never stop learning.” [41]. Magda Staudinger ([40], p. 10) says: “When he was quite
old, he used to say that he did not know enough chemistry yet to start studying
botany. In response to this, the dean of his faculty in Freiburg said at a small
ceremony in connection with the presentation of the Nobel Prize in 1953 that the
faculty now – after this event – expected the would-be botany student to take his
Courageous Questioning of Established Thinking: The Life and Work of Hermann. . .
129
located in Staudinger’s own home to start with: “A white, somewhat weatherbeaten, wooden sign saying ‘Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry’ was to be
found on the garden gate at Lugostrasse 14” [41]. When Staudinger was awarded
the Nobel Prize in this situation, the Handelsblatt from Du ¨sseldorf issued the
following appeal on 6 November 1953:
Although Staudinger’s research institute is a state facility, its budget is so inadequate that
large personal sacrifices have been necessary to enable it to continue operating. The ‘Fonds
der chemischen Industrie’ made DEM 10,000 available a few days ago, but perhaps the
state of Baden-Wu ¨rttemberg will now at long last decide to make a generous extension to
the institute. There can be no doubt that this would be the honour that Staudinger would
appreciate most as a result of the Nobel Prize!
Staudinger’s own plan to develop the government research institute of macromolecular chemistry into a federal institute “in line with its importance for the
modern chemical industry and to broaden its financial basis” [42] came to nothing
due to a lack of support. When Staudinger resigned from the position of head of the
institute as agreed in 1956, the Baden-Wu ¨rttemberg Ministry of Education
established an extraordinary professorship for macromolecular chemistry – the
University Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry was set up and then, in 1962,
moved to a new building that is known today as “Hermann-Staudinger-Haus”
(cf. [40], p. 22).
On 23 March 1956, Staudinger’s 75th birthday, Albert Ludwigs University in
Freiburg held an official ceremony, at which Staudinger was honoured in appropriate fashion as he retired from his position as honorary head of the institute.
The university rector, Bernhard Welte (1908–1983), a professor of philosophy of
religion, spoke at the ceremony:
Thirty years ago now, you created an opening in the dark wall of nature, which science is
constantly trying to illuminate and penetrate. [. . .] Today, the opening is so large that an
entire world has gone through it – and is still going through it. The entire world of industry,
of fibres and plastics, spread throughout all the countries of the earth, without which our
lives today would no longer be conceivable, and the entire world of all those who use these
fibres and plastics of many different kinds. [. . .] A huge new field of science, business and
life has developed behind the opening that you made [. . .] with your scientific work!
(Quoted in [1], p. 305)
Asked about his plans for the future just after he won the Nobel Prize, Staudinger
had already revealed his intention to start studying botany again – the subject that
he gave up in favour of chemistry when he was a young man (see Sect. 1:
“1881–1919”): “He studied chemistry because this was the basic science that
preceded botany. ‘Now [. . .] the time has come to start studying botany.’ The
Nobel Prize winner [. . .] plans to be become a student. That’s the way it is – you
never stop learning.” [41]. Magda Staudinger ([40], p. 10) says: “When he was quite
old, he used to say that he did not know enough chemistry yet to start studying
botany. In response to this, the dean of his faculty in Freiburg said at a small
ceremony in connection with the presentation of the Nobel Prize in 1953 that the
faculty now – after this event – expected the would-be botany student to take his
Courageous Questioning of Established Thinking: The Life and Work of Hermann. . .
129