For this reason, I would not want to stress this difference too much; I think that it
is much more expedient and much more appropriate to the situation if we agree that
we essentially think the same, i.e. that the chemical primary valences play a crucial
role in the structure of high-polymer substances. I consider it less important that we
give different names to the intermediate factors. The main issue in the near future
will, after all, be whether the positions held by you and us as well as Freudenberg,
Willsta ¨tter and others prevail or whether the people will be proved right who think
that it is necessary to assume new kinds of association forces not yet detected in
chemistry up to now in order to explain everything that we have experienced. I
think that we should proceed together in commenting on this issue and should not
emphasise certain differences between our personal views that are in my opinion
minor; if we did, the high-polymer community could easily make the mistake that is
only too familiar from politics; that a major issue was not given close enough
attention and was not presented clearly enough because of minor differences
between opinions that were not far apart.
I will try and find a way to come to Freiburg again as soon as possible, because I
would like very much to talk to you in detail about this issue.
Until then I remain
yours sincerely,
H. Mark
Appendix 5
Nomen est Omen
Hermann Staudinger’s memory is kept alive not least of all by the various uses to
which his name has been put. Although they enhance scientific vocabulary in
particular, one comes across them in day-to-day life as well, because schools and
roads are among the things that have been named after Staudinger. Here is a short
list:
• Staudinger reaction
• Staudinger synthesis
• Staudinger index: The relationship between the viscosity and the molecular
mass of dissolved polymers
• Hermann Staudinger Prize: Endowed by BASF AG at the Society of German
Chemists (GDCh) and awarded for the first time in 1971
• Roads: Roads named after Hermann Staudinger (with and without his first
name) can be found in Baden-Wu ¨rttemberg (Emmendingen, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Mu ¨nsingen, Waldshut-Tiengen), Bavaria (Aschheim, Helmbrechts,
Courageous Questioning of Established Thinking: The Life and Work of Hermann. . .
135
is much more expedient and much more appropriate to the situation if we agree that
we essentially think the same, i.e. that the chemical primary valences play a crucial
role in the structure of high-polymer substances. I consider it less important that we
give different names to the intermediate factors. The main issue in the near future
will, after all, be whether the positions held by you and us as well as Freudenberg,
Willsta ¨tter and others prevail or whether the people will be proved right who think
that it is necessary to assume new kinds of association forces not yet detected in
chemistry up to now in order to explain everything that we have experienced. I
think that we should proceed together in commenting on this issue and should not
emphasise certain differences between our personal views that are in my opinion
minor; if we did, the high-polymer community could easily make the mistake that is
only too familiar from politics; that a major issue was not given close enough
attention and was not presented clearly enough because of minor differences
between opinions that were not far apart.
I will try and find a way to come to Freiburg again as soon as possible, because I
would like very much to talk to you in detail about this issue.
Until then I remain
yours sincerely,
H. Mark
Appendix 5
Nomen est Omen
Hermann Staudinger’s memory is kept alive not least of all by the various uses to
which his name has been put. Although they enhance scientific vocabulary in
particular, one comes across them in day-to-day life as well, because schools and
roads are among the things that have been named after Staudinger. Here is a short
list:
• Staudinger reaction
• Staudinger synthesis
• Staudinger index: The relationship between the viscosity and the molecular
mass of dissolved polymers
• Hermann Staudinger Prize: Endowed by BASF AG at the Society of German
Chemists (GDCh) and awarded for the first time in 1971
• Roads: Roads named after Hermann Staudinger (with and without his first
name) can be found in Baden-Wu ¨rttemberg (Emmendingen, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Mu ¨nsingen, Waldshut-Tiengen), Bavaria (Aschheim, Helmbrechts,
Courageous Questioning of Established Thinking: The Life and Work of Hermann. . .
135