A famous German refugee scientist with a name like "Buchholt"?
January 16, 2011 2:56 PM Subscribe
Who could this be? A relatively famous scientist or mathematician who was a German refugee in the Second World War, whose name sounds something like Buchholt?
I have an elderly friend who was a Jewish refugee in the Second World War. Yesterday she was telling me about a couple of famous scientists who were on the boat from Germany to England with her. One of them had a name that I thought was "Buchholt". I didn't want to seem ignorant, so didn't ask her who that was, but planned to look it up later, or ask my husband, who is a physicist. But he doesn't know and I can't find any famous scientists of the right age with a similar name online. I have tried searching for "Buchholz", "Buchhold", "Buchholt", "Buchholdt", etc. Maybe I am misremembering the name, but it was certainly similar.
It's driving me crazy!
He was probably a physicist or mathematician, because that was the context of our conversation.
Does anyone have any idea who it could be?
I have an elderly friend who was a Jewish refugee in the Second World War. Yesterday she was telling me about a couple of famous scientists who were on the boat from Germany to England with her. One of them had a name that I thought was "Buchholt". I didn't want to seem ignorant, so didn't ask her who that was, but planned to look it up later, or ask my husband, who is a physicist. But he doesn't know and I can't find any famous scientists of the right age with a similar name online. I have tried searching for "Buchholz", "Buchhold", "Buchholt", "Buchholdt", etc. Maybe I am misremembering the name, but it was certainly similar.
It's driving me crazy!
He was probably a physicist or mathematician, because that was the context of our conversation.
Does anyone have any idea who it could be?
Response by poster: Wow, that was quick!
I think it was probably Buchdahl. Not only does the name ring a bell now, but she might well have meant the boat to Australia rather than the boat to England, as I think she then went on to Australia (from England) around the same time that he apparently did.
Either that or she might have meant she was on the boat from Germany to England with his parents. (From the article linked it looks like Buchdahl's own journey to England might have been too early for my friend to have been there.)
posted by lollusc at 3:22 PM on January 16, 2011
I think it was probably Buchdahl. Not only does the name ring a bell now, but she might well have meant the boat to Australia rather than the boat to England, as I think she then went on to Australia (from England) around the same time that he apparently did.
Either that or she might have meant she was on the boat from Germany to England with his parents. (From the article linked it looks like Buchdahl's own journey to England might have been too early for my friend to have been there.)
posted by lollusc at 3:22 PM on January 16, 2011
I came upon your message yesterday. I think the people you are looking for are Gerd and Hans Buchdahl. They left Germany for UK in October 1934 ( their parents left in June 1939).They were eventually deported as enemy aliens on the Dunera to Australia in 1940 where they were interned at Hay. Gerd was eventually invited to establish the department of History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge. Hans became professor of Theoretical Physics at the ANU in 1963. Both had outstanding academic careers as teachers and as writers of significant books and papers. It is a shame neither are still alive to make contact with your friend.
posted by psaq42t at 3:55 PM on February 25, 2011
posted by psaq42t at 3:55 PM on February 25, 2011
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posted by ennui.bz at 3:05 PM on January 16, 2011