Two other attractions were just a few hundred meters south of the Freiburg
home, one for my grandfather and one for me. He was an enthusiastic supporter of
the “Schreberga ¨rten”, land lots where families living in cities and not having a
garden could plant vegetables, fruits, and flowers. I assume that he considered it
important for the spirit to be outdoors, in touch with the elements and watching the
plants grow. When a plan was drafted to construct houses on the grounds of these
Schreberga ¨rten, he chaired a committee defending their existence; they negotiated
with local politicians and other groups involved in the project and, finally, their
initiative was crowned with success.
My personal highlight was of a more technical nature: it was possible to observe
the passing trains of the “Ho ¨llentalbahn” in a large trench. I enjoyed watching the
steam engines pulling a few cars behind them coming out of a tunnel and making
their way from Freiburg to Titisee and Neustadt in the Black Forest. At the age of
about 10, I was put on one of these trains and travelled alone through the “Hell
Valley” to the top station. As the personnel had been informed that I was a fan of
trains, and since they knew of my grandfather, they invited me to the driver’s
platform in the locomotive. I could look into the coal fire, feel the heat and the
steam, and assist with the maneuvers for switching the engine before going downhill again. This initiation probably led to my intense fascination with trains.
When not behaving well or when important decisions about my future had to be
made, my mother used to consult her brother and my grandfather for advice.
Towards the end of my high school education, I wanted to become a photographer.
However, my grandfather had a long discussion with me about the values of science
and higher education. He told me about his life, how much he enjoyed making
discoveries, putting them into question and confirming or rejecting them by experiment; he also liked the discussions with his colleagues in the laboratory and the
debates with those at other institutions. He was well informed about academic
curricula and suggested that I choose one offering a broad perspective of natural
science, for example the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich,
where he had worked – as director of the Institute of Chemistry – some 50 years
earlier. After several weeks of discussions with friends and relatives, I followed his
advice and have never regretted it.
Much is known about Hermann Staudinger‘s second wife, Magda, but little has
been written about his first wife, Dorothea, with whom he bore his four children.
Dorothea was very impressed by Herman‘s father, Franz, who was a high school
teacher and an expert on the philosopher Kant, and who had a social mind. Dorothea
became involved in community-oriented activities in Zurich and was one of the
founders of what is now known as the Coop Supermarkets, which were, at that time,
a non-profit organization catering mostly to underprivileged people. She joined the
movement of the priest and professor at Zurich University, Leonhard Ragaz, who
combined socialism and christianism, was fighting for the underprivileged and
minorities. In the early 1920
s , Dorothea and Hermann more and more grew away
from each other as they followed their own interests: He was excited about research
and science and she was more concerned about matters of the society. As a result,
they split up and were separated in 1925. Like most people who knew Dorothea,
Foreword: Memories of Hermann Staudinger by one of his grandchildren
ix
home, one for my grandfather and one for me. He was an enthusiastic supporter of
the “Schreberga ¨rten”, land lots where families living in cities and not having a
garden could plant vegetables, fruits, and flowers. I assume that he considered it
important for the spirit to be outdoors, in touch with the elements and watching the
plants grow. When a plan was drafted to construct houses on the grounds of these
Schreberga ¨rten, he chaired a committee defending their existence; they negotiated
with local politicians and other groups involved in the project and, finally, their
initiative was crowned with success.
My personal highlight was of a more technical nature: it was possible to observe
the passing trains of the “Ho ¨llentalbahn” in a large trench. I enjoyed watching the
steam engines pulling a few cars behind them coming out of a tunnel and making
their way from Freiburg to Titisee and Neustadt in the Black Forest. At the age of
about 10, I was put on one of these trains and travelled alone through the “Hell
Valley” to the top station. As the personnel had been informed that I was a fan of
trains, and since they knew of my grandfather, they invited me to the driver’s
platform in the locomotive. I could look into the coal fire, feel the heat and the
steam, and assist with the maneuvers for switching the engine before going downhill again. This initiation probably led to my intense fascination with trains.
When not behaving well or when important decisions about my future had to be
made, my mother used to consult her brother and my grandfather for advice.
Towards the end of my high school education, I wanted to become a photographer.
However, my grandfather had a long discussion with me about the values of science
and higher education. He told me about his life, how much he enjoyed making
discoveries, putting them into question and confirming or rejecting them by experiment; he also liked the discussions with his colleagues in the laboratory and the
debates with those at other institutions. He was well informed about academic
curricula and suggested that I choose one offering a broad perspective of natural
science, for example the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich,
where he had worked – as director of the Institute of Chemistry – some 50 years
earlier. After several weeks of discussions with friends and relatives, I followed his
advice and have never regretted it.
Much is known about Hermann Staudinger‘s second wife, Magda, but little has
been written about his first wife, Dorothea, with whom he bore his four children.
Dorothea was very impressed by Herman‘s father, Franz, who was a high school
teacher and an expert on the philosopher Kant, and who had a social mind. Dorothea
became involved in community-oriented activities in Zurich and was one of the
founders of what is now known as the Coop Supermarkets, which were, at that time,
a non-profit organization catering mostly to underprivileged people. She joined the
movement of the priest and professor at Zurich University, Leonhard Ragaz, who
combined socialism and christianism, was fighting for the underprivileged and
minorities. In the early 1920
s , Dorothea and Hermann more and more grew away
from each other as they followed their own interests: He was excited about research
and science and she was more concerned about matters of the society. As a result,
they split up and were separated in 1925. Like most people who knew Dorothea,
Foreword: Memories of Hermann Staudinger by one of his grandchildren
ix