Essays History of Science A Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Cologne! Emil Fischer, Konrad Adenauer, and the Meirowsky Endowment** Lothar Jaenicke and Frieder W. Lichtenthaler* Dedicated to Professor Klaus Hafner on the occasion of his 75th Birthday Keywords: Emil Fischer ¥ history of science ¥ Kaiser Wilhelm Society The award of the Nobel Prize for In March 1914 the Senate of the KWI Chemistry to Emil Fischer (Figure 1, had decided to set up a KWI for left) just over 100 years ago,[1] which fell Physiology in Berlin-Dahlem,[10] for into the year of his 50th birthday, gave which Emil Fischer suggested his long- many a reason to pay tribute to the time collaborator, friend, and colleague personality and scientific legacy of one Emil Abderhalden, Professor of Physi- of the towering figures of our science.[2±5] ology at Halle University since 1908, However, it also presents the opportu- whom he held in high regard.[11] After nity to remember facets of his work negotiations throughout April 1914 Ab- other than his scientific achieve- derhalden had agreed to accept the ments.[6, 7] It was largely due to his appointment. In public relations and Figure 1. Left: Emil Fischer (around 1915), inspiration and untiring energy that the the art of obtaining industrial sponsor- right: Konrad Adenauer (in 1917). idea of research, free from teaching ship he was a thoroughly modern per- duties–which he always regarded as for that purpose, and which was realized son, otherwise a child of his time and the an obvious duty but with increasing poor in 1911 with the foundation of the Swiss countryside.[12] His research cen- health also as a burden–took shape in Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft (KWG), tered around the chemistry and action of the form of institutes established solely financed through the sponsorship of protein degradation products which im- patrons. The first Kaiser Wilhelm Insti- pressed medical doctors and the general tutes (KWIs)1 for Chemistry (Directors public. The KWI for Physiology was [*] Prof. Dr. F. W. Lichtenthaler Ernst Beckmann, Richard Willst‰tter) intended to provide favorable working Institut f¸r Organische Chemie and for Physical Chemistry and Electro- conditions for his proximity to practical Technische Universit‰t Darmstadt chemistry (Director Fritz Haber) were medicine. This institute was to have Petersenstrasse 22, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany) opened with much festivity as early as been completed in 1914, however, the Fax : (þ 49)6151-166-674 October 1912.[8] The Institute for Ex- well-advanced plans were abandoned in E-mail: [email protected] perimental Therapy and Biochemistry 1916 because of the war; instead, from stadt.de (Directors August von Wassermann, 1917 onwards, annual allowances were Prof. Dr. L. Jaenicke Carl Neuberg) followed a year later. paid by the KWG to the ™Abderhalden Institut f¸r Biochemie The KWI for Coal Research, the first research post∫ in Halle to promote Universit‰t zu Kˆln outside the Berlin-Dahlem area, the ™comparative biochemical investiga- Z¸lpicher Strasse 47, 50674 Cologne research profile of which Emil Fischer tions on the structure of proteins∫, and (Germany) [9] Fax : (þ 49)221-470-6431 laid down with determined foresight, later, when the terms became establish- [13] [**] We thank Frau Erna L‰mmel (Leopoldina opened in 1914 in M¸lheim (Ruhr) ed, ™vitamins and hormones∫. Abder- Archive, Halle), Dr. R. Rider (Bancroft under the leadership of Franz Fischer. halden, who did not consider himself Library, UC at Berkeley), J. Deres (Histor- Geographic dispersion and the incorpo- bound to Halle, was open to offers, even ical Archive of the City of Cologne), and T. ration of local interests for applied basic though he put down firm roots there M¸ller (University Archive, Cologne), for research were desired. later as the President of the Leopol- generously providing information. Picture dina2. credits: Edgar Fahs Smith Collection, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 1 As the successor organization to the Kaiser (E. Fischer), Stiftung Bundeskanzler-Ade- Wilhelm Society the Max Planck Society was 2 Leopoldina: German Academy of Natural nauer-Haus Rhˆndorf (K. Adenauer), and formed in 1948 as an independent research Scientists, founded 1652, the first scientific ref. [24] (M. Meirowsky). organization. academy world-wide. 722 ¹ 2003 Wiley-VCH VerlagGmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim 1433-7851/03/4207-0722 $ 20.00+.50/0 Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2003, 42, No. 7 Angewandte Chemie From his political contacts in Berlin, and Abderhalden. Both clearly came to the prestige of scientific research and the conclusion that the City of Cologne circumstances surrounding the KWI for had more to do than merely solve the For the KWG a university en- Physiology were apparently known to question of the site, especially as the vironment was an essential Konrad Adenauer (Figure 1, right)[14] university environment, according to requirement, it promoted in- and appeared to be of use to him for the objectives of the KWG a prerequi- terdisciplinary basic research the benefit of his home town. Since site for interactive basic research, was 1908, Adenauer had been the first lacking. Cologne university, the oldest deputy mayor of the City of Cologne, and from 1917 onwards, at 41, the youngest Lord Mayor of the fourth- largest city in the German Empire and His Excellency as such a member of the Prussian Director of the Chemical Institute Herrenhaus (upper house). It is indica- Member of the Scientific Deputation for Medical Science tive of his ambitious vision that in Privy Councilor Dr. Fischer November 1917 he wanted to use ac- Berlin N.4 crued war gains of 1.2 million gold Cologne, May 23, 1918 marks donated to the city by an initially Your Excellency, anonymous Cologne industrialist to at- On the 10/11 of this month I was in Berlin on a matter concerning the Kaiser Wilhelm tract a KWI to his city, which in the Society. I was unable to discuss my suggestion with your Excellency in person, since you were, conception of the benefactor, Max Mei- so I had heard, absent from Berlin. I have therefore taken the liberty of bringing the matter to rowsky (Figure 2), was to be directed at your Excellency©s attention in writing, and I hope also to be able to discuss the matter with you in person during my next visit to Berlin on the occasion of the meeting of the Upper House on the June 5. A citizen of Cologne is willing to make 1200000 M available to the Kaiser Wilhelm Society for the Institute for Physiology planned by the Society on the condition that the Institute is established in Cologne with the leader designate, Professor Abderhalden and is to receive the grants previously planned by the Kaiser Wilhelm Society and the State. As I heard in Berlin, a site is to be made available by the provincial government free of charge for the Institute in Berlin-Dahlem. It became obvious to me that the City of Cologne would also have to make a site available without cost if the Institute were to come to Cologne. To make such a site available would not come up against any obstacle in the City of Cologne, but on the other hand it would not be to the benefactor©s liking as he would find it embarrassing that as a result of a donation, planned and given by him to the City of Cologne for reasons of pure Figure 2. Max Meirowsky. philanthropy, the city would be left with a burden. I am sure a way out of this difficulty will be found should it be absolutely necessary, even with consideration of the legitimate sensitivity of research into human, and in particular the benefactor, although at the moment it is not clear to me how this difficulty can be children©s nutrition, as he had been overcome. Privy councilor Abderhalden, with whom I have discussed this matter, would deeply moved by the misery of the warmly welcome the establishment of the Institute in Cologne and the increase in resources winter of hunger (1916/17) and the made possible by this endowment. I assume that he will correspondingly discuss his intentions suffering of children. with your Excellency in person. He has further assured me that constructional and material This induced Adenauer, after pre- difficulties would not arise for the Kaiser Wilhelm Society from the separation of the Institute liminary discussions with Abderhal- for Physiology from the other institutes to be established in Berlin-Dahlem. The foundation of den,[15] to a letter to Emil Fischer, the the Institute within its walls is of considerable interest for the City of Cologne. In the first vice-president of the KWG, written in instance, the reputation of Cologne and its scientific institutions would in this way be fostered, his characteristic administrative style a point upon which I lay great weight, because Kaiser Wilhelm Institutes are also established (see letter of May 23, 1918):[16] in Breslau and D¸sseldorf, but also, and I put great value upon this, it is of utmost importance This letter obviously initiated prob- for the intellectual life of Cologne with its 650000 inhabitants to have scientific establish- ing discussions between Adolf von Har- ments and prominent men within its walls so that the intellectual life emanating from them nack, the president of the KWG, and will counteract the strongly materialistic features of this large city. I would be especially obliged Emil Fischer, as well as between Fischer to your Excellency if you would intercede in favor of the establishment of the Institute in Cologne. I would also add that according to the explicit declaration of the benefactor, should his donation find no acceptance under the above conditions the sum will not be granted for Konrad Adenauer wished to use scientific purposes.