Personal evaluations of Gustav Hertz and Richard Gans for the German university lecturers association [November 8, 1934]

Johannes Stark

pp. 86-87

in: Klaus Hentschel (ed), Physics and national socialism, Basel, Birkhäuser, 1996

Abstract

There is nothing Jewish in Professor Hertz's outward appearance, behavior, and scientific activity at the Berlin Polytechnic. He is one of our few first-class German physicists, and is also a Nobel laureate.^[2]He is, in addition, the nephew of the great physicist Heinrich Hertz and is thus the bearer of this famous name.^[3]It would be a blunder without parallel to deny this man the right to examine students because his grandfather was a Jew.^[4]I am convinced that he would not placidly accept such a personal insult but would resign from his office, leave the country, and be welcomed everywhere with open arms.^[5]