longer insisted on naming the Institute for H.S. and the chancellor agreed that the
Institute’s building could be baptized “Hermann-Staudinger-Haus” (HermannStaudinger building). Such naming of buildings is typical in Anglo-Saxon universities and he could not flatly reject this precedent in view of the fact that the
University had some standing internationally.
The second obstacle was to be removed by G.W. Dr. Magda Staudinger had
watched all of the developments related to macromolecular chemistry at Freiburg
with displeasure, ever since the formal retirement of H.S. in 1951, when he had
turned 70 years old. Although H.S. had maintained some scientific activity as an
honorary director of a state-supported but non-university institute, the Staatliches
Forschungsinstitut fu ¨r Makromolekulare Chemie (State Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry ), it was partly located in his private villa at Lugostrasse and partly
in a shabby laboratory attached to the old building of the Chemisches Laboratorium
(Organic Chemistry Institute) of Freiburg University. It was only in 1956 that
Elfriede Husemann (1908–1976), a long-time associate of H.S., was officially
promoted to Chair in Macromolecular Chemistry on occasion of the final retirement
of H.S.
Dr. Magda Staudinger felt that her husband had been badly treated by the University in consequence of his retirement in 1951. Firstly, they pushed him out of “his”
chemical laboratory, which he had directed since his move to Freiburg in 1926 and
only thanks to his standing and connections to the State of Badenia, was he given the
chance to stay active in experimental science. Secondly, the Faculty of Science chose a
successor who had no interest whatsoever in macromolecular chemistry: Arthur
Lu ¨ttringhaus (1906–1992), an organic chemist of high reputation at that time. Thirdly,
the Faculty decided in 1956 to offer the Chair in Macromolecular Chemistry to
Elfriede Husemann rather than to Hans Batzer, whom Magda Staudinger wanted to
see in this position. Hans Batzer had gained a doctorate in chemistry in 1946 working
under Staudinger and had taken care of saving what was left of the Chemisches
Laboratorium after Allied bombing had destroyed most of it in 1944. He efficiently
managed to rebuild provisional laboratories and lecture halls under the rules of French
occupation. He had left Freiburg, infuriated, when he realized that the Faculty disliked
continuation of macromolecular chemistry as an academic subject of priority. Instead,
he started a successful career in the Swiss chemical industry and soon became a
research director at CIBA, Basel. Among other achievements, Hans Batzer was the
driving force in making CIBA a leader in the profitable world market for epoxy resins
and additives to polymers meant to stabilize them against photochemical degradation
and autoxidation. He also was an honorary professor at the Technical University of
Stuttgart in Germany.
In summary, Magda Staudinger believed that she had many good reasons to
maintain unfriendly relations with the Faculty of Chemistry of Freiburg University.
In particular, she disliked Elfriede Husemann, despite – or maybe, because – of the
fact that Elfriede Husemann had been a close cooperator and academic associate of
her late husband. She had been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor by the
University in 1947. Given the difficulties of the time, she had an impressive record
in scientific achievements when the Faculty decided to offer her the directorship of
Hermann Staudinger: Aspects of Fame and Memory, Motivation and Impact
41
Institute’s building could be baptized “Hermann-Staudinger-Haus” (HermannStaudinger building). Such naming of buildings is typical in Anglo-Saxon universities and he could not flatly reject this precedent in view of the fact that the
University had some standing internationally.
The second obstacle was to be removed by G.W. Dr. Magda Staudinger had
watched all of the developments related to macromolecular chemistry at Freiburg
with displeasure, ever since the formal retirement of H.S. in 1951, when he had
turned 70 years old. Although H.S. had maintained some scientific activity as an
honorary director of a state-supported but non-university institute, the Staatliches
Forschungsinstitut fu ¨r Makromolekulare Chemie (State Institute for Macromolecular Chemistry ), it was partly located in his private villa at Lugostrasse and partly
in a shabby laboratory attached to the old building of the Chemisches Laboratorium
(Organic Chemistry Institute) of Freiburg University. It was only in 1956 that
Elfriede Husemann (1908–1976), a long-time associate of H.S., was officially
promoted to Chair in Macromolecular Chemistry on occasion of the final retirement
of H.S.
Dr. Magda Staudinger felt that her husband had been badly treated by the University in consequence of his retirement in 1951. Firstly, they pushed him out of “his”
chemical laboratory, which he had directed since his move to Freiburg in 1926 and
only thanks to his standing and connections to the State of Badenia, was he given the
chance to stay active in experimental science. Secondly, the Faculty of Science chose a
successor who had no interest whatsoever in macromolecular chemistry: Arthur
Lu ¨ttringhaus (1906–1992), an organic chemist of high reputation at that time. Thirdly,
the Faculty decided in 1956 to offer the Chair in Macromolecular Chemistry to
Elfriede Husemann rather than to Hans Batzer, whom Magda Staudinger wanted to
see in this position. Hans Batzer had gained a doctorate in chemistry in 1946 working
under Staudinger and had taken care of saving what was left of the Chemisches
Laboratorium after Allied bombing had destroyed most of it in 1944. He efficiently
managed to rebuild provisional laboratories and lecture halls under the rules of French
occupation. He had left Freiburg, infuriated, when he realized that the Faculty disliked
continuation of macromolecular chemistry as an academic subject of priority. Instead,
he started a successful career in the Swiss chemical industry and soon became a
research director at CIBA, Basel. Among other achievements, Hans Batzer was the
driving force in making CIBA a leader in the profitable world market for epoxy resins
and additives to polymers meant to stabilize them against photochemical degradation
and autoxidation. He also was an honorary professor at the Technical University of
Stuttgart in Germany.
In summary, Magda Staudinger believed that she had many good reasons to
maintain unfriendly relations with the Faculty of Chemistry of Freiburg University.
In particular, she disliked Elfriede Husemann, despite – or maybe, because – of the
fact that Elfriede Husemann had been a close cooperator and academic associate of
her late husband. She had been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor by the
University in 1947. Given the difficulties of the time, she had an impressive record
in scientific achievements when the Faculty decided to offer her the directorship of
Hermann Staudinger: Aspects of Fame and Memory, Motivation and Impact
41