When was Peter Bergmann born and where did he grow up?
Peter Gabriel Bergmann was born on the 24th of March 1915 into a Jewish family in Berlin. He began his college studies at Technische Hochschule when he was only sixteen years old.
Questions about Peter Bergmann
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did Peter Bergmann leave Germany for Czechoslovakia in 1936?
Peter Bergmann fled to Czechoslovakia after Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in 1933 because his academic prospects as a Jew had vanished in Germany. He earned his PhD from the German University in Prague in 1936 under the guidance of Philipp Frank.
What research projects did Peter Bergmann work on with Albert Einstein at Princeton?
Peter Bergmann worked with Albert Einstein at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton from October 1936 to June 1941. They pursued the Kaluza, Klein theory and published two papers together that encompassed general relativity and Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism.
How did Peter Bergmann establish general relativity as a mainstream field of study?
At Syracuse University starting in 1947, Peter Bergmann established one of the first research centers devoted to studying the general theory of relativity. His efforts led to enormous growth in gravitational physics research during subsequent decades.
When did Peter Bergmann publish his first textbook on general relativity?
In 1942 Peter Bergmann published the first textbook on general relativity titled Introduction to the Theory of Relativity. The second edition appeared through Dover Publications in 1976 after translations brought it to multiple languages worldwide.
What awards did Peter Bergmann receive before he died on the 19th of October 2002?
The Albert Einstein Society in Switzerland awarded Peter Bergmann the Albert Einstein Medal in 1992. Shortly before his death he learned that he and John Archibald Wheeler won the inaugural Einstein Prize from the American Physical Society for their pioneering investigations in general relativity.