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Obituary Hans Wussing (1927-2011) Obituary Hans Wussing (15 October 1927 - 26 April 2011) By Annette B. Vogt1 Hans Wussing passed away on 26th April, 2011, at the age of 83. With the death of him our profession has lost one of its most distinguished historians of mathematics, and a former Second Vice President of the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science. Hans Wussing was a well known German historian of mathematics, director of the Karl Sudhoff Institute for History of Medicine and Science at the University Leipzig, and professor of history of science at the University Leipzig. Of his numerous publications the most widely consulted are his monographes "Mathematik in der Antike" (Mathematics in antiquity, 1961), "Die Genesis des abstrakten Gruppenbegriffes" (The genesis of the abstract group concept, 1969), "Vorlesungen zur Geschichte der Mathematik" (Lectures on history of mathematics, 1979), and more recently his "6000 Jahre Mathematik", a cultural history of mathematics, (Springer publ., 2008/09, 2 volumes). His contributions to the history of mathematics and science are contained not only in books but also in articles and reviews and through his teaching activities at the Leipzig University. Hans Wussing was born on October 15 in 1927 in Waldheim, in Saxonia. After the liberation of Nazi Germany by the Allied troops he lived in the Soviet Zone respectively from 1949 until 1989 he lived and worked in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). These political circumstances influenced his daily life as well as his scientific career path. After studying mathematics and physics at the Leipzig University, Hans Wussing became a teacher here, from 1955 until 1957. In 1957 he received his doctoral degree in mathematics at the Leipzig University. His thesis dealt with a problem in group theory. In 1966 he finished his Habili- tation with an investigation on the history of group theory ("Die Genesis des abstrakten Gruppenbegriffes" (The genesis of the abstract group concept. A contribution to the history of the origin of abstract group theory, 1969; engl. transl. 1984 and 2007). From 1957 onwards Hans Wussing belonged to the famous Karl Sudhoff Institute for the History of Medicine and Science at the University Leipzig, first as an assistant, from 1977 until 1982 as director. From 1 Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin 1968 until 1992 he also was professor for history of science at the University of Leipzig. Hans Wussing became the teacher and advisor of most historians of mathematics who ever were working in this field from the late 1950s until the end of the GDR. Following in the tradition of Gerhard Harig (1902-1966), Hans Wussing was one of the most important persons in the field history of mathematics and history of science in the GDR and one of their representative in the international scientific community. From 1967 to 1987 he served as President of the National Committee on History of Science of the GDR. From 1967 to 1998 he was editor-in- chief of the well known journal NTM. In 1984 he became a Member of the Academy of Science of Saxonia. Leipzig. With his publications on the history of mathematics Hans Wussing had influence the history of science and mathematics not only in GDR. He showed how important the reconstruction of ideas and theories could be to get a better understanding of the work of mathematicians from antiquity until the early 20th century. For historians of science, he underlined the importance of primary sources and of the strict analysis of the development of scientific ideas, theories and concepts. And he influenced the history of mathematics as a topic in teaching courses at the universities in the GDR between the 1970s and 1989. His book "Lectures on history of mathematics" became a role model for teaching courses in history of science. Hans Wussing was also active in various fields concerning international relationships and collaboration in history of science and mathematics. He became a Member of the Academie Internationale d'Histoire des Sciences (in 1971 Corresponding Member, in 1981 Full Member). From 1981 to 1989 he was Deputy of the Secretary General of the Division of History of Science and Technology of the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science; from 1989 to 1993 he served as Second Vice President of the IUHPS. In 1993 Hans Wussing was awarded the Kenneth O. May Prize in history of mathematics. Hans Wussing was warm and sympathetic, always generous in his appreciation of others' achievements and unfailingly helpful to their aspirations. Those who knew him will sorely miss him, will never forget his support and his advice, the stories he told about the history of science and the history of mathematics past and present, and above all his energetic encouragement of research and collaboration. Those who had the good fortune to meet Hans Wussing, not only at scientific congresses and conferences, but also in small discussion groups and those, moreover, who had the good fortune to meet and talk to him privately, will never forget his great knowledge and intelligence, his sense of humor and his kindness. .
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