working on June 1st, 1920, initially in preliminary rooms in Haber’s institute, and
later in its own building in Berlin-Dahlem.
The Institute consisted of three departments: (i) Department of Organic Chemistry,
headed by Max Bergmann (1886–1941), who would move to Dresden in 1921 as the
new and sole director of another newly created KWI, namely the Institut fu ¨r
Lederforschung (Institute for Leather Research); (ii) Department of Physical Chemistry,
headed by Michael Polanyi (1891–1974); and (iii) Department of Technology, headed
by A. Geiger (until 1921) and from there on by Hermann Franz Mark (1895–1992). The
institute’s overall director was Reginald Oliver Herzog (1878–1935).
Herzog as well as Polanyi had spent time at the Technical University of
Karlsruhe in its Institute of Physical Chemistry and, therefore, were known to
Fritz Haber. Bergmann was considered a “rising star” among organic chemists of
the time. He was Emil Fischer’s most brilliant student. Fischer (1852–1919; Nobel
Prize 1902) had strongly supported the idea for a central research institute in fibrous
materials. Mark came to the new institute via his connections to the Fischer school.
It is safe to assume that H.S. was fully informed on the debates in scientific and
industrial circles predating and surrounding the foundation of the new institute. The
same is true for the other newly created (in 1921) Institute for Leather Research in
Dresden, which was meant to concentrate on protein research for the fundamental
part and on tannery and its processes for the industry-related part. Max Bergmann
would be announced as the director in 1921 [6]. He would soon turn out to be an
ardent opponent of the ideas of H.S. and would deny the existence of Macromolecules (proteins in his case) until the late 1930ies.
Staudinger, working at the best-known academic institution for industry-related
research – the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, certainly felt obliged
to contribute his ideas to the research programs of the two newly founded institutes
in Germany: a strong motivation indeed! His suggestions on the existence of large,
linear macromolecules as the common feature of all fibrous materials as well as
rubber, starch etc. was met with disbelief by the major players of the two new
institutes and their supporters in academia, for Staudinger’s scientific arguments
were not very strong, at least initially in the early years 1920–1928. Whole
academic circles rejected his ideas in favor of explanations for the behavior of
natural fibers, leather, and other protein-based materials given by “colloid science.”
Colloid science, a field made highly popular by Wolfgang Ostwald (1883–1943)
had many supporters, among them Emil Fischer, Karl Freudenberg, Max
Bergmann, and C. D. Harries. This is difficult to understand from today’s point of
view but it must also be said that today’s “colloidal science” has little, if anything,
to do with the writings and readings of Wolfgang Oswald, the key propagator of the
“world of unknown dimensions,” and his followers at the time of 1920–1940.
In consequence, Staudinger’s concept, although innovative, was not yet based on
solid evidence and did not find favorable reception in academic science.
An unbiased inspection into the record of citations of Staudinger’s publications
demonstrates the evidence. Table 1 gives a list of titles and citations of his ten most
cited publications.
46
G. Wegner
later in its own building in Berlin-Dahlem.
The Institute consisted of three departments: (i) Department of Organic Chemistry,
headed by Max Bergmann (1886–1941), who would move to Dresden in 1921 as the
new and sole director of another newly created KWI, namely the Institut fu ¨r
Lederforschung (Institute for Leather Research); (ii) Department of Physical Chemistry,
headed by Michael Polanyi (1891–1974); and (iii) Department of Technology, headed
by A. Geiger (until 1921) and from there on by Hermann Franz Mark (1895–1992). The
institute’s overall director was Reginald Oliver Herzog (1878–1935).
Herzog as well as Polanyi had spent time at the Technical University of
Karlsruhe in its Institute of Physical Chemistry and, therefore, were known to
Fritz Haber. Bergmann was considered a “rising star” among organic chemists of
the time. He was Emil Fischer’s most brilliant student. Fischer (1852–1919; Nobel
Prize 1902) had strongly supported the idea for a central research institute in fibrous
materials. Mark came to the new institute via his connections to the Fischer school.
It is safe to assume that H.S. was fully informed on the debates in scientific and
industrial circles predating and surrounding the foundation of the new institute. The
same is true for the other newly created (in 1921) Institute for Leather Research in
Dresden, which was meant to concentrate on protein research for the fundamental
part and on tannery and its processes for the industry-related part. Max Bergmann
would be announced as the director in 1921 [6]. He would soon turn out to be an
ardent opponent of the ideas of H.S. and would deny the existence of Macromolecules (proteins in his case) until the late 1930ies.
Staudinger, working at the best-known academic institution for industry-related
research – the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, certainly felt obliged
to contribute his ideas to the research programs of the two newly founded institutes
in Germany: a strong motivation indeed! His suggestions on the existence of large,
linear macromolecules as the common feature of all fibrous materials as well as
rubber, starch etc. was met with disbelief by the major players of the two new
institutes and their supporters in academia, for Staudinger’s scientific arguments
were not very strong, at least initially in the early years 1920–1928. Whole
academic circles rejected his ideas in favor of explanations for the behavior of
natural fibers, leather, and other protein-based materials given by “colloid science.”
Colloid science, a field made highly popular by Wolfgang Ostwald (1883–1943)
had many supporters, among them Emil Fischer, Karl Freudenberg, Max
Bergmann, and C. D. Harries. This is difficult to understand from today’s point of
view but it must also be said that today’s “colloidal science” has little, if anything,
to do with the writings and readings of Wolfgang Oswald, the key propagator of the
“world of unknown dimensions,” and his followers at the time of 1920–1940.
In consequence, Staudinger’s concept, although innovative, was not yet based on
solid evidence and did not find favorable reception in academic science.
An unbiased inspection into the record of citations of Staudinger’s publications
demonstrates the evidence. Table 1 gives a list of titles and citations of his ten most
cited publications.
46
G. Wegner