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Table of Contents

Biography

AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjects

Relationships

PeopleInstitutions

Resources

Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as AuthorPublished as Subject

W. Wien

Photo

Dates

January 13, 1864 – August 30, 1928

Authorized Form of Name

Wien, W. (Wilhelm), 1864-1928

Additional Forms of Names

Wien, Wilhelm, 1864-1928

Wien, Willy, 1864-1928

Wien, Willy (Wilhelm Carl Werner Otto Fritz Franz), 1864-1928

Biography

Abstract

Wilhelm Carl Werner Otto Fritz Franz Wien was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1911 "for his discoveries regarding the laws governing the radiation of heat." He held Professorships at University of Munich, University of Wurzburg, University of Giessen, and the Technical University of Aachen, and was a research assistant at University of Berlin.

Important Dates

January 13, 1864Born in Gaffken, Prussia (modern day Russia), Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ (Russia).

1883 – 1890Research assistant (doctoral and post-doc) to Hermann von Helmholtz, University of Berlin and Technical University of Aachen.

1886Obtained PhD in Physics, University of Berlin, Berlin (Germany).

1893Announced the law of displacement, which states that the wavelength changes with the temperature.

1896Published the Formula of Wien, which later influenced Max Planck's work.

1896Professor of Physics, Technical University of Aachen, Aachen (Germany).

1899Professor of Physics, University of Giessen, Giessen (Germany : Landkreis).

1900Published Lehrbuch der Hydrodynamik (Textbook of hydrodynamics).

1900 – 1920Professor of Physics, University of Wurzburg, Wurzburg (Germany).

1913Visiting Lecturer, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).

1920Professor of Physics, University of Munich, Munich (Germany).

August 30, 1928Death, Munich (Germany).

Occupation

Particle physicist.

Places

Birth

Kaliningradskai︠a︡ oblastʹ (Russia)

Graduate Education

Berlin (Germany)

Employment

Berlin (Germany)

Aachen (Germany)

Giessen (Germany : Landkreis)

Wurzburg (Germany)

Munich (Germany)

Death

Munich (Germany)

Subjects

Electromagnetic theory.

Hydrodynamics.

Optics.

Radiation.

Relationships

People

Family

Wien, Max, 1866-1938

Cousin and physicist.

Advisors & Collaborators

Helmholtz, Hermann von, 1821-1894

Advisor at University of Berlin and Technical University of Aachen.

Kirchhoff, G. (Gustav), 1824-1887

Collaborated on book "Vorlesungen uber mechanik."

Quincke, Georg Hermann, 1834-1924

Advisor and instructor to Wien during a brief period of study at University of Heidelberg.

Additional

Bethe, Hans A. (Hans Albrecht), 1906-2005

Debye, Peter J. W. (Peter Josef William), 1884-1966

Drude, Paul Karl Ludwig

Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955

Elsasser, Walter M., 1904-

Franck, James, 1882-1964

Gerlach, Walther, 1889-1979

Heisenberg, Werner, 1901-1976

Heitler, Walter, 1904-

Hertz, Heinrich, 1857-1894

Herzfeld, Karl F. (Karl Ferdinand), 1892-

Hilbert, David, 1862-1943

Kangro, Hans

Koenigsberger, Johann Georg

Laporte, Otto, 1902-1971

Lau, Ernst Gustav, 1893-

Lebedev, P. N. (Petr Nikolaevich), 1866-1912.

Lenard, Philipp, 1862-1947

Lorentz, H. A. (Hendrik Antoon), 1853-1928

Meitner, Lise, 1878-1968

Michelson, Vladimir Aleksandrovich

Minkowski, H. (Hermann), 1864-1909

Nordheim, Lothar, 1899-

Peierls, Rudolf E. (Rudolf Ernst), 1907-1995

Planck, Max, 1858-1947

Rabi, I. I. (Isidor Isaac), 1898-1988

Röntgen, Wilhelm Conrad, 1845-1923

Schrödinger, Annemarie, 1896-1965

Schrödinger, Erwin, 1887-1961

Sommerfeld, Arnold, 1868-1951

Sponer, Hertha, 1895-1968

Stark, Johannes, 1874-1957

Wentzel, Gregor, 1898-1978

Institutions

Major Positions

Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universitat Wurzburg

Professor of Physics.

Columbia University. Department of Physics

Visiting Lecturer.

Justus Liebig-Universität Giessen

Professor of Physics.

Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen

Research assistant to Herman von Helmholtz and Professor of Physics.

Universitat Munchen. Fakultat fur Physik

Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Berlin

Received PhD in physics (1886) and doctoral and post-doc researcher.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Correspondence with Max Planck, 1900-1928.

Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Preussischer Kulturbesitz.

Potsdamer Strasse, Postfach 1107, W-1000, Berlin 30, Germany

Diary, 1928.

In private hands

Germany

Erwin Schrodinger correspondence to Wilhelm Wien, 1925-1927.

Library

American Philosophical Society

105 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

Wilhelm Wien papers [microform], 1890-1928.

Yale University Library

Box 208240, New Haven, CT 06520, USA

Wilhelm Wien papers, 1898-ca. 1930.

Deutsches Museum

Museumsinsel 1, 80306 Munich, Germany

Subject

Arnold Sommerfeld papers [microform], 1896-1950.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Columbia University Department of Physics Historical Records, 1862-1997.

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Columbia University

Butler Library, 6th Floor East, New York, NY 10027, USA

Copies of papers from elsewhere not directly related to Niels Bohr, 1920-

Niels Bohr Archive

Blegdamsvej 17, Copenhagen, Denmark

David Hilbert papers.

Abteilung für Handschriften und seltene Drucke

Niedersächsische Staats-und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen

Papendiek 14, D-37073 Göttingen

Items relating to the development of the telegraph, 1833-1868.

Deutsches Postmuseum.

Postfach 70 02 62, 60552 Frankfurt

Johann Koenigsberger correspondence.

Handschriftenabteilung

Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich

Zurich, Switzerland

Johannes Stark correspondence, 1904-1927.

Deutsches Museum

Museumsinsel 1, 80306 Munich, Germany

Johannes Stark selected correspondence [microform], 1904-1927.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Max Planck papers, 1759-1994, bulk 1830-1994.

Archiv zur Geschichte der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften

Boltzmannstr. 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany

Oral history interview with Annemarie Bertel Schrödinger, 1963 April 5.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Ernst Gustav Lau, 1963 May 15.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Gregor Wentzel, 1964 February 3 to 5.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Hans Bethe, 1964 January 17.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with I. I. Rabi, 1963 December 8.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Karl F. Herzfeld, 1978 May 11.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Lise Meitner, 1963 May 12.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Lothar Wolfgang Nordheim, 1977 July 24.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Otto Laporte, 1964 January 29 and 31.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Peter J. W. Debye, 1962 May 3 and 4.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Sir Rudolf Ernst Peierls, 1963 June 17 and 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Walter Heitler, 1963 March 18 and 19.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Walter M. Elsasser, 1962 May 29.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Walther Gerlach, 1963 February 18 and 23.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg, 1962 November 30, 1963 February 7, 11, 13, 15, 19, 22, 25, 27, 28 and 1963 July 5, 12.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history joint interview with James Franck and Hertha Sponer-Franck, 1962 July 9 to 14.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Papers ("Old" Sommerfeld Nachlass).

Deutsches Museum

Museumsinsel 1, 80306 Munich, Germany

Petr N. Lebedev papers.

St. Petersburg Branch. Archive

Russian Academy of Sciences

Universitetskaia hab., 1, Korp. 2, St. Petersburg 199034

Scientists collection, 1563-1973.

Library

American Philosophical Society

105 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

Vladimir A. Michelson papers, 1884-1927.

St. Petersburg Branch. Archive

Russian Academy of Sciences

Universitetskaia hab., 1, Korp. 2, St. Petersburg 199034

Published Resources

Author

Die Relativitätstheorie vom standpunkte der Physik und Erkenntnislehre / von W. Wien.

Handbuch der Experimentalphysik / Herg. von W. Wien und F. Harms

Handbuch der Experimentalphysik; Ergänzungswerk, hrsg. von M. Wien und G. Joos.

Lehrbuch der Hydrodynamik / von W. Wien.

Uber elektronen : vortrag gehalten auf der 77. Versammlung deutscher naturforscher und ärtze in Meren / von W. Wien.

Vorlesungen uber mechanik / von Gustav Kirchhoff.

Vorlesungen über neuere probleme der theoretischen physik, gehalten an der Columbia-universität in New York in april 1913, von W. Wien. Mit 11 figuren im text.

Subject

Vorgeschichte des Planckschen Strahlungsgesetzes; Messungen und Theorien der spektralen Energieverteilung bis zur Begründung der Quantenhypothese.

Wilhelm Wien : aus dem Leben und Wirken eines Physikers / mit persönlichen Erinnerungen von W. v. Drygalski [et al] ; und einem Nachruf von M. v. Laue und E. Rüchardt.

Wilhelm Wien Nobel Prize biography.