Wilhelm Heinrich Westphal (3 March 1882, inHamburg – 5 June 1978, inBerlin) was a German physicist. From 1918, he was a professor at the University of Berlin. During the period 1922 to 1924, he was also an expert adviser to the Prussian Ministry of Science, Arts and Culture. From 1928, he was simultaneously a professor at theUniversity of Berlin and atTechnische Hochschule Berlin. His position at the former ended when it fell in the Russian sector at the close of World War II, but he achieved emeritus status at the latter in 1955 (by the time already knownTechnische Universität Berlin).
Westphal was educated at theGelehrtenschule des Johanneums. From 1902 to 1908, he studied at theRheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, theLudwig-Maximilians-Universität München, theUniversität Stuttgart, and the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (FWU), now theHumboldt-Universität zu Berlin. He received his doctorate in 1908, at the University of Berlin, under Arthur Wehnelt with a thesis was on measurements of potential inWehnelt cylinders.[1]
After receipt of his doctorate, Westphal became an assistant toHeinrich Rubens at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (FWU), where he researched thermal radiation and electric discharges in gases. During his time there, Westphal completed hisHabilitation (1913) and became aPrivatdozent.
His academic career was interrupted from 1914 to 1918 by military service inWorld War I. Westphal became a titular professor after returning to FWU in 1918, where he was appointedausserordentlicher Professor (extraordinarius professor). From 1922 to 1924, he was also an expert adviser to thePreußisches Kultusministerium (PrKM, Prussian Culture Ministry, officially thePreußisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Kunst und Volksbildung).
From 1925 to 1926, he was a physics teacher at theLandschulheim in Salem. From 1928, he was head of the physics demonstrator, alternately called the student laboratory.[1][2] In 1928, Westphal andGustav Hertz together replacedFerdinand Kurlbaum at theTechnische Hochschule Berlin (THB), now theTechnische Universität Berlin). Westphal, however, still retained his position at the FWU. From 1934, he was simultaneously anausserordentlicher Professor at the THB and the FWU.
From 1935, at the THB, he was substitute head of the physics department, which Hertz had been forced to vacate due to his Jewish background. His position at the FWU came to an end in 1945 at the close ofWorld War II because it was then in the Russian sector of the city.[2][3][4] In 1955, Westphal achieved emeritus status asausserordentlicher Professor of physics at theTechnische Universität Berlin.[1]
In addition to being a successful researcher, Westphal was a prolific textbook author. He was also the editor of Volumes 12 through 17 of theHandbuch der Physik, of the encyclopediaPhysikalisches Wörterbuch, and of the seriesDie Wissenschaft.[1][2]
