A supporter ofAdolf Hitler from 1924, Stark was one of the main figures, along with fellow Nobel laureatePhilipp Lenard, in the antisemiticDeutsche Physik movement, which sought to remove Jewish physicists from German institutions. In 1947, he was found guilty as a "Major Offender" by adenazification court, but this was reduced to "Lesser Offender" in 1949 after appeal.[1]
Johannes Stark was born on 15 April 1874 in Schickenhof (now part ofFreihung), Germany.
Stark was educated at thegymnasium (secondary school) inBayreuth, and later inRegensburg. In 1894, he entered theUniversity of Munich, where he studied physics, mathematics, chemistry, and crystallography. In 1897, he received hisPh.D. in Physics; his thesis, supervised byEugen von Lommel, was titledUntersuchung über einige physikalische, vorzüglich optische Eigenschaften des Rußes (Investigation of some physical, in particular optical properties of soot).[2] Stark stayed at Munich as an assistant to von Lommel until 1900.
It was Stark who, as the editor of theJahrbuch der Radioaktivität und Elektronik, asked in 1907, then still rather unknown,Albert Einstein to write a review article on theprinciple of relativity. Stark seemed impressed by relativity and Einstein's earlier work when he quoted "the principle of relativity formulated by H. A. Lorentz and A. Einstein" and "Planck's relationshipM0 =E0/c2" in his 1907 paper[3] inPhysikalische Zeitschrift, where he used the equatione0 =m0c2 to calculate an "elementary quantum of energy", i.e. the amount of energy related to the mass of an electron at rest. While working on his article,[4] Einstein began a line of thought that would eventually lead to hisgeneral theory of relativity, which in turn became (after its confirmation) the start of Einstein's worldwide fame. This is ironic, given Stark's later work as an anti-Einstein andanti-relativity propagandist in theDeutsche Physik movement.[5]
Stark published more than 300 papers, mainly regarding electricity and other such topics.
From 1924 onwards, Stark supported Hitler.[6] During theNazi regime, Stark attempted to become theFührer of German physics through theDeutsche Physik (Aryan Physics) movement (along with fellow Nobel laureatePhilipp Lenard) against the "Jewish physics" ofAlbert Einstein andWerner Heisenberg (who was not Jewish). After Werner Heisenberg defended Albert Einstein'stheory of relativity, Stark wrote an angry article in the officialSS newspaperDas Schwarze Korps, calling Heisenberg a "White Jew".[6]
On August 21, 1934, Stark wrote to physicist and fellow Nobel laureateMax von Laue, telling him to toe the party line or suffer the consequences. The letter was signed off with "Heil Hitler."[7]
In his 1934 book,Nationalsozialismus und Wissenschaft (National Socialism and Science), Stark maintained that the priority of the scientist was to serve the nation—thus, the important fields of research were those that could help German arms production and industry. He attacked theoretical physics as "Jewish" and stressed that scientific positions inNazi Germany should only be held by pure-blooded Germans.
Writing inDas Schwarze Korps, Stark argued that even ifracial antisemitism were to triumph, it would only be a 'partial victory' if 'Jewish' ideas were not similarly defeated: "We also have to eradicate the Jewish spirit, whose blood can flow just as undisturbed today as before if its carriers hold beautifulAryan passes".[8]
In 1947, following the defeat of Germany inWorld War II, Stark was classified as a "Major Offender" and received a sentence of four years' imprisonment (later suspended) by adenazification court. This verdict was modified in 1949 by the Appelate Tribunal in Munich, reducing the sentence to "Lesser Offender" and a fine of 1000 marks.[1]
Stark married Luise Uepler, with whom he had five children. His hobbies were the cultivation of fruit trees and forestry. He worked in his private laboratory, which he set up using his Nobel Prize money, on his country estate inUpper Bavaria after the Second World War. There, he studied the deflection of light in an electric field.[9]
Stark spent the last years of his life on hisGut Eppenstatt nearTraunstein in Upper Bavaria, where he died on 21 June 1957 at the age of 83. He is buried at the mountain cemetery inSchönau am Königssee.[10]
Die Entladung der Elektricität von galvanisch glühender Kohle in verdünntes Gas. (Sonderabdruck aus 'Annalen der Physik und Chemie', Neue Folge, Band 68). Leipzig, 1899
Der elektrische Strom zwischen galvanisch glühender Kohle und einem Metall durch verdünntes Gas. (Sonderabdruck aus 'Annalen der Physik und Chemie', Neue Folge, Band 68). Leipzig, 1899
Aenderung der Leitfähigkeit von Gasen durch einen stetigen elektrischen Strom. (Sonderabdruck aus 'Annalen der Physik', 4. Folge, Band 2). Leipzig, 1900
Ueber den Einfluss der Erhitzung auf das elektrische Leuchten eines verdünnten Gases. (Sonderabdruck aus 'Annalen der Physik', 4. Folge, Band 1). Leipzig, 1900
Ueber elektrostatische Wirkungen bei der Entladung der Elektricität in verdünnten Gasen. (Sonderabdruck aus 'Annalen der Physik', 4. Folge, Band 1). Leipzig, 1900
Kritische Bemerkungen zu der Mitteilung der Herren Austin und Starke über Kathodenstrahlreflexion. Sonderabdruck aus 'Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft', Jahrgang 4, Nr. 8). Braunschweig, 1902
Prinzipien der Atomdynamik. 1. Teil. Die elektrischen Quanten., 1910
Schwierigkeiten für die Lichtquantenhypothese im Falle der Emission von Serienlinien. (Sonderabdruck aus 'Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft', Jg. XVI, Nr 6). Braunschweig, 1914
Bemerkung zum Bogen – und Funkenspektrum des Heliums. (Sonderabdruck aus 'Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft.', Jg. XVI, Nr. 10). Braunschweig, 1914
Folgerungen aus einer Valenzhypothese. III. Natürliche Drehung der Schwingungsebene des Lichtes. (Sonderabdruck aus `Jahrbuch der Radioaktivität und Elektronik', Heft 2, Mai 1914), Leipzig, 1914
Methode zur gleichzeitigen Zerlegung einer Linie durch das elektrische und das magnetische Feld. (Sonderabdruck aus 'Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft.', Jg. XVI, Nr. 7). Braunschweig, 1914
Die gegenwärtige Krise der deutschen Physik, ("The Thoroughgoing Crisis in German Physics") 1922
Natur der chemischen Valenzkräfte, 1922
Hitlergeist und Wissenschaft, 1924 together withPhilipp Lenard
Die Axialität der Lichtemission und Atomstruktur, Berlin 1927
Atomstruktur und Atombindung, A. Seydel, Berlin 1928
Atomstrukturelle Grundlagen der Stickstoffchemie., Leipzig, 1931
Nationalsozialismus und Katholische Kirche, ("National Socialism and the Catholic Church") 1931
Nationalsozialismus und Katholische Kirche. II. Teil: Antwort auf Kundgebungen der deutschen Bischöfe., 1931
Nationale Erziehung, 1932
Nationalsozialismus und Wissenschaft ("National Socialism and Science") 1934
^Norton, John D. "Einstein and Nordström: Some Lesser-Known Thought Experiments in Gravitation",John Earman, Michel Janssen, John D. Norton (eds.),Birkhäuser, 1993, pp. 3–29 (p. 6).ISBN0-8176-3624-2
Andreas Kleinert:"Die Axialität der Lichtemission und Atomstruktur". Johannes Starks Gegenentwurf zur Quantentheorie. In: Astrid Schürmann, Burghard Weiss (Eds.):Chemie – Kultur – Geschichte. Festschrift für Hans-Werner Schütt anlässlich seines 65. Geburtstages. Berlin u. Diepholz 2002, pp. 213–222.
