Hans-Peter Dürr (7 October 1929 – 18 May 2014) was a German physicist. He worked on
nuclear
Nuclear may refer to:
Physics
Relating to the nucleus of the atom:
*Nuclear engineering
*Nuclear physics
*Nuclear power
*Nuclear reactor
*Nuclear weapon
*Nuclear medicine
*Radiation therapy
*Nuclear warfare
Mathematics
* Nuclear space
*Nuclear ...
and
quantum physics
Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...
,
elementary particles
In particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a subatomic particle that is not composed of other particles. The Standard Model presently recognizes seventeen distinct particles—twelve fermions and five bosons. As a con ...
and
gravitation
In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force b ...
,
epistemology
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. Also called "the theory of knowledge", it explores different types of knowledge, such as propositional knowledge about facts, practical knowle ...
, and
philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
, and he advocated responsible scientific and energy policies.
In 1987, he was awarded the
Right Livelihood Award for "his profound critique of the
Strategic Defense Initiative
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic nuclear missiles. The program was announced in 1983, by President Ronald Reagan. Reagan called for a ...
(SDI) and his work to convert high technology to peaceful uses".
Early life and education
Hans-Peter Dürr was born in
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
in 1929. He studied physics in Stuttgart, graduating with a Diploma in 1953 and did postgraduate studies at
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
, completing his Ph.D. in 1956 supervised by
Edward Teller
Edward Teller (; January 15, 1908 – September 9, 2003) was a Hungarian and American Theoretical physics, theoretical physicist and chemical engineer who is known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb" and one of the creators of ...
.
Career
From 1958 until 1976 he was a research associate of
Werner Heisenberg
Werner Karl Heisenberg (; ; 5 December 1901 – 1 February 1976) was a German theoretical physicist, one of the main pioneers of the theory of quantum mechanics and a principal scientist in the German nuclear program during World War II.
He pub ...
, specializing in
nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter.
Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies th ...
,
quantum physics
Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...
,
elementary particles
In particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a subatomic particle that is not composed of other particles. The Standard Model presently recognizes seventeen distinct particles—twelve fermions and five bosons. As a con ...
and
gravitation
In physics, gravity (), also known as gravitation or a gravitational interaction, is a fundamental interaction, a mutual attraction between all massive particles. On Earth, gravity takes a slightly different meaning: the observed force b ...
epistemology
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. Also called "the theory of knowledge", it explores different types of knowledge, such as propositional knowledge about facts, practical knowle ...
and
philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
. He was Heisenberg's closest ally in their attempts to develop a
unified field theory
In physics, a Unified Field Theory (UFT) or “Theory of Everything” is a type of field theory that allows all fundamental forces of nature, including gravity, and all elementary particles to be written in terms of a single physical field. Ac ...
of elementary particles.
In 1962 he habilitated at the
Ludwig Maximilian University
The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke Ludwig IX of Bav ...
in
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
.
The same year he was a guest professor in Berkeley, California and
Madras
Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
, India.
Until 1997 he was professor of
physics
Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
at the
Ludwig Maximilian University
The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke Ludwig IX of Bav ...
in
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
.
Between 1978 and 1997 he was executive Director of the
Max Planck Institute for Physics (Werner-Heisenberg-Institute) and
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics
The Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) is a research institute located in Garching, just north of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is one of many scientific research institutes belonging to the Max Planck Society.
The MPA is widely consid ...
in Munich several times.
He was Vice executive director from 1972-1977, 1981–1986 and 1993-1995.
Advocacy
In the 1980s, Dürr advocated the cause of peace as a member of the
Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs is an international organization that brings together scholars and public figures to work toward reducing the danger of armed conflict and to seek solutions to global security threats. It was fo ...
. In 1983, he helped co-fund the Scientists' Initiative "Responsibility for Peace", which led to the Scientists' Peace Congress in
Mainz
Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
attended by 3,300 scientists and the Mainzer Appell, a declaration against further nuclear armament. In 1990, another large scientists' convention in Göttingen warned against the militarization of space. In support of these conventions, Dürr gave a series of lectures at numerous German universities. Dürr was a leading critic of the US
Strategic Defense Initiative
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic nuclear missiles. The program was announced in 1983, by President Ronald Reagan. Reagan called for a ...
(SDI), otherwise known as Star Wars.
In 1986 Dürr proposed a World Peace Initiative, on a similar scale to the SDI, to solve environmental problems, and achieve
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
and peace. In 1987 this was reborn as the Global Challenges Network, which received the
Right Livelihood Award together with Dürr.
More recently, Dürr contributed to the global environmental movement. He served as a member of the board of
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...
Germany and as a member of the International Advisory Council on the Economic Development of Hainan in Harmony with the Natural Environment in China. In 1996, Dürr was made a member of the
UN Secretary General
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...
's international advisory group for the Habitat II Conference in
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
.
Dürr was a member of the
Club of Rome
The Club of Rome is a nonprofit, informal organization of intellectuals and business leaders whose goal is a critical discussion of pressing list of global issues, global issues. The Club of Rome was founded in 1968 at Accademia dei Lincei in R ...
and served on the scientific committee of the Vienna Internationale Akademie für Zukunftsfragen, advocating sustainable, equitable, and
viable development, emphasizing energy efficiency and sufficiency as a point of entry. He was a founder member of the German
Vereinigung für Ökologische Ökonomie.
[ 7.10.1929 – 18.05.2014 voeoe.de, accessed 25 February 2015.]
Later years, emeritus after 1997
In 2005, together with
Daniel Dahm and Rudolf zur Lippe, he published the
Potsdam Manifesto and the Potsdam Denkschrift as a follow-up to the Russell–Einstein Manifesto of 1955. They were signed by a large group of scientists from all over the world, including 20 laureates of the
Right Livelihood Award.
From 2006 until his death, he was a founding councillor at the
World Future Council
The World Future Council (WFC) is a German non-profit foundation with its headquarters in Hamburg. It works to pass on a healthy and sustainable planet with just and peaceful societies to future generations.
FuturePolicy.org
The futurepol ...
, and a supporter of the
Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, an organisation which campaigns for the democratic reformation of the United Nations.
He also championed various
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
causes, and helped fund the "David against Goliath" organization protesting against a
nuclear fuel
Nuclear fuel refers to any substance, typically fissile material, which is used by nuclear power stations or other atomic nucleus, nuclear devices to generate energy.
Oxide fuel
For fission reactors, the fuel (typically based on uranium) is ...
reprocessing plant in
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
.
Personal life
Dürr was married for more than 50 years and had 4 children and numerous grandchildren. He died in May 2014 in Munich.
Honors
*''Award of Merit 1956, Oakland in USA;''
*''Right Livelihood Award 1987 („Alternative Nobelprice“), Stockholm;''
*''Waldemar-von-Knoeringen-Award 1989, Munich;''
*''Ecology Award „Goldene Schwalbe“ 1990, Darmstadt;''
*''Natura Obligat Medaille 1991,
Bundeswehr University Munich
image:Eingangsbereich der Universität der Bundeswehr München.jpg, Entrance to the university
University of the Bundeswehr Munich (, UniBw München) is one of two research universities in Germany at federal level that both were founded in 1973 a ...
;''
*''Elise and Walter Haas International Award 1993, University of California;''
*''Medal `München leuchtet' 1996 in Gold, Culture Award Munich;''
*''Honorary Doctor Dr.phil. h.c, 2002, University Oldenburg, Philosophical Faculty;''
*''Großes Verdienstkreuz des
Bundesverdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, 2004, Berlin.''
Memberships
*''Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, Halle, 1975;''
*''Rhodes Scholarship Foundation, Vorsitzender des deutschen Auswahlausschusses, Hamburg, 1979–1982;''
*''Vereinigung Deutscher Wissenschaftler, Berlin, Vorstand, 1980–1986, und Vorstandsvorsitzender, 1991–97, 2000-;''
*''E.F.-Schuhmacher-Gesellschaft, Kuratorium, Munich, 1980-;''
*''Studiengruppe Sanfte Energietechnologien München SESAM, University Munich 1981-1983;''
*''Naturwissenschaftler Initiative – Verantwortung für den Frieden, Mainz, 1983;''
*''Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, London/Geneva, 1983, Council 1987-97,''
*''Peace-Nobel Prize 1995;''
*''Energiekommission der Landeshauptstadt, Munich, 1983-;''
*''Wissenschaftszentrum München, Vorstand Beirat, 1983-;''
*''Scientists against Nuclear Weapons and for Peace, Sowjetische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Moskau, 1984-;''
*''August-Bebel-Kreis, Tübingen, 1986–1990;''
*''Greenpeace Deutschland, Hamburg, Vorstand, 1985–92;''
*''Stabilitätsorientierte Sicherheitspolitik, Starnberg, Codirector Forschungsprojekt 1986-1988;''
*''Institut für Friedensforschung und Sicherheitspolitik, Wissenschaftlicher Beirat, Universität Hamburg, 1986-;''
*''Global Challenges Network, München, Gründer und Vorstand, 1987;''
*''Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR, Berlin, 1987;''
*''International Foundation for the Survival and Development of Humanity, Moskau, Mitbegründer und Vorstand, 1988;''
*''Institut für sozial-ökologische Forschung, Frankfurt, Wiss. Beirat, 1989-;''
*''Internationale Akademie für Zukunftsfragen, Wien, Vorstand und Wissenschaftliches Präsidium, 1990;''
*''Economic Development of Hainan in Harmony with the Natural Environment, Intern. Adv. Council, PR China, 1990–93;''
*''Die Umweltakademie/Umwelt und Management, Oberpfaffenhofen, Vorsitzender Kuratorium, 1990–97, Vorstand, 1998;''
*''Club of Rome, Paris, 1991;''
*''Europäische Stiftung für Natur- und Kulturvermögen, Prag, Mitbegründer und Präsident, 1991–2001;''
*''Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea, Salzburg, 1991-, Prodekan, 1993–1995;''
*''International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility INES, Hamburg, 1992-;''
*''Lenkungsausschuss der „Consultative“, DUA Oberpfaffenhofen/München, 1992–1994;''
*''Center for Science of Hope, International Center for Integrated Studies, ICIS. Advisory Council, New York 1993;''
*''Freunde und Förderer der Robert-Jungk-Stiftung, Ehrenmitglied, Salzburg, 1993-;''
*''Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Vorstand, Chicago, 1993–95;''
*''Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research PIK, Wissenschaftlicher. Beirat, 1993–2003;''
*''Muhammad Abdus Salam Foundation, Stiftungsrat, London, 1993–1995;''
*''Volkshochschule, Kuratorium, München, 1994–1996;''
*''Global Commission to Fund the U .N., Washington D.C, 1995;''
*''Institut für Zukunftsstudien und Technologiebewertung IZT, Wissenschaftlicher Beirat, Berlin, 1995-;''
*''Gruppe Energie 2010: Zukünftige Energiepolitik, Niedersächsische Energie-Agentur, Hannover, 1995-1998.''
*''U.N. Conference of Human Settlements, Habitat II, International Advisory Council, New York, 1996;''
*''David gegen Goliath, München, 1996, Ehrenmitglied; 1996;''
*''RIO-Impuls Luzern, Schweiz, Beirat, 1996-;''
*''Ludwig-Bölkow-Stiftung München, Kuratorium, 1998–2004;''
*''Roland-Röhl-Stiftung Göttingen, Kuratorium Vorsitzender, 1998;''
*''Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders, New York, Co-Chair Science, 1999-;''
*''Stiftung für die Rechte zukünftiger Generationen, Oberursel Beirat, 1999;''
*''The State of the World Forum, San Francisco, Gorbachev Foundation, International Coordinating Council, 1999;''
*''Herrmann-Knoblauch-Akademie, Schirmherr, Hannover, 1999;''
*''Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste, München, Ehrenmitglied, 2000;''
*''Commission on Globalization, The State of the World Forum San Francisco, New York, 2001;''
*''Friends of Health, Washington, Scientific Advisory Committee, 2000;''
*''Koalition für Leben und Frieden, München, 2002-;''
*''Stiftung Insel Hombroich, Neuß, Kuratorium, 2003-;''
*''Lassalle Institut, Bad Schönbrunn, Schweiz, Patronatskomitee, 2003-;''
*''
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (Peace Nobel Prize, 1985), Berlin, Scientific Advisory Board, 2004.''
Books (selection)
*What is Life? Scientific Approaches and Philosophical Positions (co-author, co-ed.), World Scientific, 2002,
*Unified Theories of Elementary Particles (ed.), Springer Verlag, 1982.
*
Werner Heisenberg
Werner Karl Heisenberg (; ; 5 December 1901 – 1 February 1976) was a German theoretical physicist, one of the main pioneers of the theory of quantum mechanics and a principal scientist in the German nuclear program during World War II.
He pub ...
, Gesammelte Werke (co-ed.), 9 vols., Piper und Springer Verlag (1985–1993).
*Physik und Transzendenz (ed.), Scherz Verlag, 1986.
*Das Netz des Physikers, Hanser Verlag, 1988.
*De la Science à l’Éthique, Bibliothèque Albin Michel Sciences 1988.
*Geist und Natur (ed.), Scherz Verlag, 1989.
*Respekt vor der Natur - Verantwortung für die Natur, Piper Verlag, 1994.
*Die Zukunft ist ein unbetretener Pfad, Herder Verlag, 1995.
*Zukünftige Energiepolitik (co-author), Economica Verlag, 1995.
*Umweltverträgliches Wirtschaften (co-ed.), Agenda Verlag, 1995.
*Gott, der Mensch und die Wissenschaft (co-author), Pattloch Verlag, 1997.
*
Rupert Sheldrake
Alfred Rupert Sheldrake (born 28 June 1942) is an English author and parapsychology researcher. He proposed the concept of morphic resonance, a conjecture that lacks mainstream acceptance and has been widely criticized as pseudoscience. He has ...
in der Diskussion (co-ed.), Scherz Verlag, 1997.
*Für eine zivile Gesellschaft, dtv 2000.
*Elemente des Lebens (co-ed.), Graue Edition, 2000.
*Wir erleben mehr als wir begreifen (co-author), Herder spektrum, 2001.
*Wirklichkeit, Wahrheit, Werte und die Wissenschaft (co-author, co-ed.), BWV, 2003.
*Auch die Wissenschaft spricht nur in Gleichnissen, Herder spektrum, 2004.
*H.P.Dürr/
Raimon Panikkar: ''Liebe - Urquelle des Kosmos − Ein Gespräch über Naturwissenschaft und Religion'', Herder Vlg. (Herder Tb.5965), Freiburg 2008,
References
External links
Right Livelihood AwardGlobal Challenges NetworkHans-Peter Dürr MP3 audio– from ''Shift in Action'', sponsored by
Institute of Noetic Sciences
*"Sprache der modernen Physik" �
Recording of an event in Hamburg/Germany(MP3)
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durr, Hans-Peter
1929 births
2014 deaths
Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts
20th-century German physicists
Members of the German Academy of Sciences at Berlin
Academic staff of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Max Planck Institute directors