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DHRUBAJYOTI CHATTOPADHYAY

Rankled by her husband’s work RTICLE

A in preparing and using poison gas against enemies during the First World War, and frustrated at not being able to dissuade him

EATURE from his heinous actions, Clara F Immerwahr, wife of Fritz Haber, committed suicide.

But during the First World War the Polkendorff Farm where Clara lived there decision to use poison gas was taken by was no school for girls. So Clara had no a scientist. Not only that, he himself led option but to study under private tutors the warfare and convinced the others. just as her other siblings. Clara spent her However, his wife Clara Immerwahr winters at Breslau with her siblings where committed suicide trying to pressurize her grandmother had a big garment shop. HE year 2015 was the 100th year of him to stop the use of poison gas. The the First World War. During the In 1877, while they were at Breslau, T scientist was Fritz Haber. Clara was also Second World War scientists developed their grandmother admitted them in a a promising scientist and perhaps the fi rst the atom bomb which killed thousands school and it was decided that during lady who sacrifi ced her life to stop the of lives. However, the decision to drop the winter they will be at school and rest misuse of science. the bomb was taken by politicians, not of the time when on Polkendorff Farm scientists, most of whom were dead Clara Immerwahr was born in they will have to take education under against it. Germany near Breslau on 21 June 1870. On private tutors. None of the children were Science Reporter, JANUARY 2016 38 FEATURE ARTICLE During the First World War the decision to use poison gas was taken by a scientist, Fritz Haber. Not only that, he himself

led the Fritz Haber warfare and convinced After working as laboratory assistant the others. to Professor Abegg—at the highest rank attainable by women—Clara Immerwahr worked briefl y as a researcher in Clausthal and gave lectures on “Physics and Chemistry in the Household” at various interested in education, except Clara. students. But she fought for permission to women’s organizations and institutes. She was an eager student and keenly take the preliminary examination, which She was several times invited to serve interested in science. She wanted to take would enable her to qualify for university as discussant at the oral presentations of science as her career and established entrance. Ultimately she won the struggle doctoral theses. herself in“prospective sphere of women’s and during 1895–1896 sessionwomen occupations.” teachers were allowed to attend lectures Nevertheless, she began to feel an outsider in the male-dominated While both her sisters left the school, at Breslau University as visitors. university circles. In spite of all her her brother Paul went on to earn a PhD This continued for two years, fi nally efforts she could not manage a job in any degree from Berlin University. This in 1898, Breslau University allowed research institution or university. She was further motivated Clara. Her father also her to appear in the examination and frustrated. wanted to see her as a scientist. When Clara Immerwahr became the fi rst Clara’s mother died of cancer in 1890 woman in Germany to pass the diffi cult In April 1901, Clara and Fritz Haber her father moved to Breslau with Clara Verbandsexamen, a pre-doctoral met again. Haber had in the intervening for her further studies. It was here that qualifying examination designed to raise years gained respect and recognition Clara met a handsome, well-educated boy standards in the training of professional for his research in electrochemistry and named Fritz Haber in a dancing lesson. chemists. thermodynamics. This time Clara could not deny when Fritz Haber proposed her He proposed to her, but Clara declined On 12 December 1900, Clara again. So they married in August 1901 the offer as she wanted to be economically Immerwahr was awarded a doctorate and settled in Karlsruhe. independent by taking science as her in physical chemistry with magna cum career. laude, which means with high merit. Her However, Clara soon realized that Her father came to know about dissertation paper was on the study of marrying an ambitious person like Haber Miss Knittel, a widely traveled woman the solubility of metal salts, conducted was the greatest mistake in her life. To who ran a teachers’ seminary. Philipp under the supervision of Professor fulfi ll his ambition Haber frequently admitted Clara to that school. Miss Richard Abegg. She dedicated her paper invited important guests in their house for Knittel soon identifi ed Clara’s aptitude to her “dear father” who inspired her dinner. Clara had to arrange those dinner towards science and presented her with throughout life. She thus became the parties. Clara could hardly manage any Jane Marcet’s Conversations on Chemistry. fi rst woman to be awarded a doctorate in time for herself. This book had a great infl uence in Clara’s chemistry at a German university. Further misfortune was waiting for life as she decided to make chemistry her According to a local newspaper, on her. Through a diffi cult pregnancy she area of specialization. this occasion, she took an oath: “Never in gave birth to a sickly son, Hermann on 1 After completing her studies at the speech or writing to teach anything that June 1902. Now she had to devote almost seminary Clara worked as a governess, is contrary to my beliefs. To pursue truth all her time looking after Herman. So giving private lessons, as she had no and to advance the dignity of science to Clara decided not to concentrate on her option for higher studies since at that the heights which it deserves.” This she research, but to devote her time to writing time Breslau University did not admit girl followed throughout her life. books.

39 Science Reporter, JANUARY 2016 FEATURE ARTICLE

Clara Immerwahr

Clara was also a promising scientist and perhaps the fi rst lady who sacrifi ced her life to stop the misuse of science. Haber wanted to publish her lectures chlorine gas so that it would drift across But it was all in vain. On the on “Thermodynamics” in the form of a to the enemy trenches, where it would same day Fritz traveled to the eastern textbook. So, Clara also went ahead and kill the opponents without any artillery front, leaving his son to deal with the collaborated with her husband in his bombardment. situation. Haber was so powerful that no research and especially his textbook on the Clara could not forget the oath she newspaper fl ashed the news. On May 8 thermodynamics of gas reaction, which had taken when she got her doctorate the Grunewald Zeitung reported on the he published in 1905. When the book degree. Appalled, she came out in open suicide of the wife of “Dr. H. Of the Secret was published, she found that Haber had opposition to this work, condemning Service who is currently at the front,” dedicated the book to his “beloved wife, this “perversion of the ideals of science” adding that “the reasons for the unhappy Mrs. Clara Haber, Ph.D., with thanks to as “a sign of barbarity, corrupting the woman’s act are not known.” For the rest quiet collaboration.” That was all. Haber very discipline which ought to bring new of his life Haber never discussed any of nowhere mentioned Clara as a co-writer. insights into life.” Haber’s enthusiastic the events of his wife’s death. Clara was disheartened but dedication to chemical warfare In 1918 Haber was awarded the continued to give lectures to women. represented the fi nal break. Nobel Prize for his pathbreaking work in However, often she would get infuriated She pleaded with him several ammonia synthesis. But when he received to fi nd that people naturally assumed times to cease working on gas warfare. the award the great physicist Ernest that the lectures had been written by She tried to remind Haber about those Rutherford refused to shake his hand. A her husband. Clara’s life was becoming international treaties where Germany had few months later there were calls for him miserable day by day. signed promising not to use poisonous to be tried as a war criminal. Maeanwhile, Fritz Haber’s career gas during war. But she always faced In May 1933, following the Nazi fl ourished. In his thermodynamics book an angry response from Haber. Haber rise to power, Haber was called to he had stated how to prepare ammonia accused her in public of making dismiss all Jewish members of his staff, industrially by using iron catalyst. In 1908, statements treasonous to the Fatherland. but preferred to resign his position and BAFS (BadenAnilineandSodaFactory) go into exile, fi nding refuge in England appointed him for ammonia preparation. Finally, the fi rst poison gas attack at Cambridge University. Neither the In 1909, he successfully prepared took place on 22 April 1915, on the climate nor the work environment was to ammonia by the synthesis of hydrogen Western front in the Ypres sector of his liking. He felt rejected as a pariah for and nitrogen. The company started Belgium. There were nearly seven his war activities. Emotionally shattered, commercial production of ammonia by thousand casualties, more than fi ve he decided to go to Italy. On the way in using Haber’s principle. This discovery thousand died in that attack. Countless January 1934 he died of a heart attack in made him renowned as well as rich. additional attacks resulted in the deaths Basel. In 1911, he was appointed head of of at least a hundred thousand soldiers on the recently founded Kaiser Wilhelm both sides. Clara Immerwahr was a promising Institute of physical chemistry and Haber was promoted to the rank of German scientist. The society, family, electrochemistry in Berlin. The outbreak captain. He returned in triumph to his and husband everyone had betrayed of World War I in 1914 gave Haber an home and attended a party in his honour her. But she remained faithful towards opportunity to prove his patriotism. He on May 1, the night before he was due to science. Throughout her tragically short concentrated all his efforts on developing go to the eastern front to supervise a gas life, Clara remained faithful to her name, poison and other gases. He was soon attack. The couple quarreled. In the early Immerwahr, which means “always true”. entrusted with the development of war hours of May 2 Clara Immerwahr took raw materials and with responsibility for her husband’s pistol out to the garden Mr Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay is Education Offi cer, the development of ammonia synthesis. and shot herself. Perhaps she thought North Bengal Science Centre (Under National In early 1915, he suggested a diabolically that she could stop Haber from taking any Council of Science Museums ,Govt. of India), P.O.- simple idea: to release highly toxic further action. Matigara, Dist.-Darjeeling-734010

Science Reporter, JANUARY 2016 40