Mathwar/Personlist/Frank Philipp

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Philipp Frank


(* March 20th 1884 in Vienna, Austria, † July 21st 1966 in Cambridge, USA)


Life

In 1907 Frank wrote an important paper on causality. Einstein was impressed by Frank's ideas which he put forward in this paper and the resulting discussions led to another life long friendship, this time between Frank and Einstein. Both loved the philosophy of science and the ideas of each would influence the other. Frank received his habilitation and was appointed a lecturer in the University of Vienna in 1910. On Einstein's recommendation Frank succeeded him to the chair of theoretical physics in the German University of Prague in 1912.

Frank remained at the German University in Prague until 1938. The Munich Agreement in that year saw large parts of the Czechoslovak republic surrendered to Germany. German troops along with Hitler himself had entered Austria on 12 March 1938, and a Nazi government had been set up there. Political pressure was put on Frank and other members of the Vienna Circle, and the group disbanded with many of its members including Frank fleeing to the United States.


Sources

St.Andrews

Wikipedia