The entire German press, with the exception of the regular Nazi papers, is mourning the death of Professor Fritz Haber, noted German scientist, whose death in Basle was announced. Professor Haber was a converted Jew, having been baptized some years ago.
“Germany and the entire world has lost in Haber the leading chemist of our generation,” the B. Z. #m Mittag, leading Berlin morning papers, declared editorially
Professor Haber, who was born in Breslau, was educated in the universities of Berlin, Heidelberg and Charlottenburg. Despite the Nazi drive against Jewish professors and those descended from Jews, Professor Haber was exempted by the Nazis, in view of his distinguished service to Germany during the World War and because of his notatle contributions to the prestige of German science. But Professor Haber fought the Nazi attempt to oust his two jewish assistants and resigned when they were dismissed.
Dr. Haber was the man who discovered the process for the fixation of nitrogen, which enabled the Germans to fight on even after Germany’s supply of nitrogen, essetial in the manufacture of high explosives was shut off by the British blockade. He was also the chief adviser on gas to the German General staff and always insisted that had his advice been followed in 1915, and gas used on a different scale, the war would have been over in 1915.
When he resigned last year, Profassor Haber was Professor at the University of Berlin and Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Inorganic Chemistry.
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