On the connections of Walther Hermann Nernst with the Polish academic life

Abstract

A brief account of connections between Walther Hermann Nernst and Polish scientists involved in research in the fields of physical chemistry as well as pure physics is given. Particular attention is focused on Stanisław Tołłoczko’s research, who arrived in Göttingen in 1893 and received his doctorate in chemistry under the guidance of Nernst in 1898. It turned out that Tołłoczko’s stay at the Nernst school became a milestone in the history of Polish science, as it has given rise to the establishment of studies in physical chemistry first at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków and later at the University of Lviv. In later years, one of Tołłoczko’s coworkers, Wiktor Jakób, initiated research in physical chemistry at the Technical University in Lviv. He is regarded as the founder of research in coordination chemistry in Poland. Other topics discussed in the article include a rich legacy related to the names of Walther Hermann Nernst and Jan Czochralski, who invented a method of crystal growth used to obtain single crystals of semiconductors.