Before-afterwards: two letters of the mathematician William Threlfall (1933 and 1945) (Q726110): Difference between revisions

Born in Dresden in 1888, Threlfall studied chemistry at the University of Jena, which he finished with the ``Verbandsexamen''. Afterwards, he studied mathematics at the University of Göttingen, where Hilbert was his main teacher. In 1921, he continued his studies in Leipzig, where he graduated in 1925. He moved to Dresden where he got his PhD (Habilitation) and became professor (nichtplanmäßiger außerordentlicher Professor): his main research field was topology. In 1930, Threlfall met Herbert Seifert, who published in 1933 his textbook ``Lehrbuch der Topologie'', in 1934, Seifert and Threlfall were the authors of a textbook with the same title [JFM 60.0496.05]. In 1936, Threlfall changed to the University of Halle-Wittenberg and, in 1938, he replaced Carl Ludwig Siegel at the University of Frankfurt; Siegel had become professor at the University of Göttingen. During the war, Seifert (since 1939) and Threlfall (since 1943) had to work at the Institute for Gas Dynamics in Völkenrode near Braunschweig. On September 13, 1944 Seifert and Trelfall moved to Lorenzenhof in Oberwolfach-Walke where they expected the end of the war. Wilhelm Süss was the initiator of this newly founded mathematical research institute. Seifert, who was professor at the University of Heidelberg since 1937, returned to Heidelberg after the war. In 1946, Threlfall replaced Udo Wegner at the University of Heidelberg, who was dismissed for political reasons. In 1949, in Lorenzenhof the first conference on topology took place, Threlfall was one of the participants. He died during this conference in Lorenzenhof on April 4, 1949 where he was buried. In 1980, his mortal remains were moved to Heidelberg where Threlfall was buried in the tomb of Seifert and his wife. However, the author's aim was not Threlfall's biography, but Threlfall's political attitude. The author presents two very interesting letters from Threlfall. The first letter was written on June 10, 1933, the addressee was Threlfall's aunt who lived in England; Threlfall mentioned ``Pray don't believe the humbug and the lies about German cruelties''. The second letter written in Lorenzenhof in April 26, 1945 was for Heinz Hopf in Zürich, it began with the sentence ``at least this terrible upheaval of the Nazis is over: We all revived when the French troops arrived yesterday''.