2.4 Hermann Staudinger and Hermann F. Mark: A Wonderful Example of a Short,
Intensive Scientific Competition, but a Lifelong Human Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3 An “Old” Essay Written to Recall the 50th Anniversary of Hermann Staudinger’s Nobel
Prize in 1953 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.1 Title and Summary of the 2004 Essay in Angewandte Chemie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.2 What Was It All About? An Attempt to “Whet the Appetite” to Read or Even
Re-read Parts of an Old Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.3 When and Why did Hermann Staudinger Step into Polymer Science? A Matter
of Opinion? Sure, Especially After 100 Years! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.4 The Nobel Prize Ceremony in 1953: A Historical Moment for Science . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.5 Hermann Staudinger Between Two World Wars and Two Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.6 Did Hermann Staudinger Ever Cross the Bridge of His Dreams, the Bridge
to Biology? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4 Facts and Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.1 What is the Best Way to Predict the Future? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.2 Linear Thinking, Paradigm Shifts and Serendipity: Science Is Not a One-Way Street 16
4.3 The Joy of Discovery: On the Way! Just a Few Articles and Reviews in the Field
of Polymer Therapeutics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 18
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1 Hermann Staudinger: A Life Devoted to Science,
Squeezed in Between Two World Wars and Stepping
Across Scientific, Social and Political Barriers
In life and science, it is from time to time interesting and important to stop and take
stock, to look back, to look around and ahead. In science, this is done pretty often;
reviews are abundant. But describing only facts and results is “relatively easy” and
thus often done. In this respect, it is also important not to concentrate only on
scientific results and achievements, but to try to look behind the curtains of science.
One also has to view and respect the acting personalities behind the published scene
and consider the times they had to live and work in. This leads directly to the
question of what intelligence, creativity and responsibility have in common.
The 60th anniversary of the Nobel Prize for Hermann Staudinger is a perfect
occasion for this. He was a remarkable scientist and a strong – sometime even
stubborn – personality. His creativity allowed him to step across scientific borders,
to induce paradigm shifts, and his stubbornness helped him to survive all “micellar”
attacks against his “macromolecules”. Even though it was 100 years ago, he had a
remarkable international career. He grew up in the “German Kaiserreich”, lived in
the Swiss democracy, and had to handle the Nazis and their Third Reich. And last
but not least, on his way through life and science, he was squeezed between two
world wars (Fig. 1).
2
H. Ringsdorf
Intensive Scientific Competition, but a Lifelong Human Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3 An “Old” Essay Written to Recall the 50th Anniversary of Hermann Staudinger’s Nobel
Prize in 1953 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.1 Title and Summary of the 2004 Essay in Angewandte Chemie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.2 What Was It All About? An Attempt to “Whet the Appetite” to Read or Even
Re-read Parts of an Old Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.3 When and Why did Hermann Staudinger Step into Polymer Science? A Matter
of Opinion? Sure, Especially After 100 Years! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.4 The Nobel Prize Ceremony in 1953: A Historical Moment for Science . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.5 Hermann Staudinger Between Two World Wars and Two Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
3.6 Did Hermann Staudinger Ever Cross the Bridge of His Dreams, the Bridge
to Biology? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4 Facts and Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.1 What is the Best Way to Predict the Future? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.2 Linear Thinking, Paradigm Shifts and Serendipity: Science Is Not a One-Way Street 16
4.3 The Joy of Discovery: On the Way! Just a Few Articles and Reviews in the Field
of Polymer Therapeutics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 18
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1 Hermann Staudinger: A Life Devoted to Science,
Squeezed in Between Two World Wars and Stepping
Across Scientific, Social and Political Barriers
In life and science, it is from time to time interesting and important to stop and take
stock, to look back, to look around and ahead. In science, this is done pretty often;
reviews are abundant. But describing only facts and results is “relatively easy” and
thus often done. In this respect, it is also important not to concentrate only on
scientific results and achievements, but to try to look behind the curtains of science.
One also has to view and respect the acting personalities behind the published scene
and consider the times they had to live and work in. This leads directly to the
question of what intelligence, creativity and responsibility have in common.
The 60th anniversary of the Nobel Prize for Hermann Staudinger is a perfect
occasion for this. He was a remarkable scientist and a strong – sometime even
stubborn – personality. His creativity allowed him to step across scientific borders,
to induce paradigm shifts, and his stubbornness helped him to survive all “micellar”
attacks against his “macromolecules”. Even though it was 100 years ago, he had a
remarkable international career. He grew up in the “German Kaiserreich”, lived in
the Swiss democracy, and had to handle the Nazis and their Third Reich. And last
but not least, on his way through life and science, he was squeezed between two
world wars (Fig. 1).
2
H. Ringsdorf