Chapter 1254: Chapter 154: Gottingen School
In reviewing the formation process of the Gottingen School, future generations will undoubtedly marvel at its profound influence on modern science and thought. This school was not just an academic group within a university but also a representative of a knowledge revolution, especially in late 18th to early 19th-century Europe. The Gottingen School demonstrated how scientific research transitioned from the achievents of individual genius to the outcos of collective collaboration and interdisciplinary exchange.
During the early 1830s, when German university education was undergoing significant upheaval, the University of Gottingen, spurred by the reforms passed by the Kingdom of Hanover’s Parliant in 1832, not only withstood the era’s shocks but also liberated natural and social sciences from traditional philosophical fraworks. This allowed fields like mathematics, physics, law, and biology to advance toward more systematic and specialized directions.
Gauss is considered the jewel in the crown of mathematics. His precise thinking and innovation set a standard for those who followed. Succeeding Gauss in the University of Gottingen’s mathematics chair, Peter Dirichlet and Bernhard Riemann inherited this legacy and made groundbreaking strides in number theory and geotry, collaborating to make Gottingen the world center for mathematical research.
anwhile, as the first in all of Europe to offer electromagnetism as a specialized independent subject, the University of Gottingen, led by its first professor of electromagnetism, Arthur Hastings, established a philosophy of experint-first, seizing the initiative in core disciplines during the Second Industrial Revolution.
Among the first graduates in Gottingen University’s electromagnetism field erged significant industrial figures like Werner von Siens. Those who succeeded Hastings in the electromagnetics chair, such as George Ohm, William Weber, and Julius Planck, fully developed and inherited this philosophy, pushing this success to new heights.
At the sa ti, the Gottingen School also demonstrated the fusion between natural and human sciences. John Blunbach and Rudolf Wagner’s research in biology uncovered the physical chanisms behind life phenona, while the jurist Savini redefined the role and nature of law from a historical perspective. This interdisciplinary academic ecosystem promoted academic freedom and intellectual innovation, greatly expanding the boundaries of knowledge.
Although the University of Gottingen lost a significant asure of its teaching reputation and faculty strength in 1837 due to the ‘Gottingen Seven’ incident, the departure of so scholars directly facilitated the rapid rise of another top-tier European university. After several years of hardship, the international influence of the Gottingen School gradually recovered and reached its peak in the early 20th century.
Figures such as Max Born, Werner Heisenberg, Wolfgang Pauli, and Robert Oppenheir erged from here successively, infusing this top German university with even more robust vitality in the new era.
— Friedrich Paulsen, “History of 19th Century German Education”
Early this morning, a noisy conversation was emanating from the Academic Director’s office.
Assistant Director, Philosophy College Dean Professor John Herbart, sat opposite Arthur, earnestly persuading: “From an academic perspective, the decision to promote Mr. George Ohm to Associate Professor is absolutely without issue. He definitely deserves this honor and the accompanying salary. However, Sir, I must remind you, if possible, I hope the announcent of this decision can be postponed by a few months.”
“Postpone the announcent?” Arthur was apparently not fully satisfied with Herbart’s suggestion, but neither did he explicitly object, instead inquiring: “I suppose you feel that announcing it directly might offend so researchers in the German natural philosophy community?”
Herbart pursed his lips, seeming to have more to say, but the words stopped at his lips. He simply nodded slightly: “You were present at the eting that day, so I guess you understand the situation at the ti better than I do.”
“Precisely because I understand the situation, I am even less inclined to delay the appointnt decision. Of course, I do this not out of disrespect for your suggestion, but because I have my own reasons.”
“Could you explain them?” As one of the mbers of the University of Gottingen’s academic committee, Herbart felt it necessary to understand clearly: “As long as it’s beneficial to the university’s developnt, I will not obstruct your opinion.”
Arthur picked up the teapot and poured Herbart a cup of tea: “Firstly, appointing George Ohm as Associate Professor is not out of my personal will but out of considerations of academic fairness. Should there be corresponding achievents, without receiving the corresponding social status, it would definitely curb the enthusiasm of young private lecturers in the school.”
Herbart nodded slightly, holding a teacup: “There is no issue with that part; I also agree with fairness.”
“Secondly.”
Arthur continued: “According to the ‘University of Gottingen Appointnt Procedures,’ professor candidates must be doctoral graduates and have obtained professorial qualifications. Ohm has a doctorate from Erlangen University and has passed the professorial qualification selection in the Kingdom of Bavaria. According to the principle of mutual recognition within the German Confederation’s education system, his doctorate and professorial qualification are also recognized in the Kingdom of Hanover, making him eligible for appointnt as a formal professor at the University of Gottingen. Moreover, he has several years of work experience and recently conducted an academic presentation before the academic committee’s collective mbers at the electromagnetism conference, receiving unanimous praise. Therefore, appointing him as Associate Professor also conforms to legal procedure.”
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