Heidelberger Physiker berichten / Wege zur modernen Physik

In this initially planned four-volume work, former university professors from the esteemed Heidelberg Faculty of Physics and Astronomy recount their scientific work and the history of their field. The contributions are based on autobiographical lectures given by the physicists between 1991 and 2016. Much of the liveliness of the oral presentation and the authenticity of personal memory have been preserved. The respective paths to scientific knowledge are vividly described, intertwined with often eventful lives and historical developments. While the life paths and experiences of the scientists vary greatly, the reader can discover many commonalities. They will learn firsthand how science was conducted and continues to be created today, in an era of interdisciplinarity and large-scale research. The present first volume contains lectures that describe the history of physics around the mid-twentieth century. The subsequent volumes will report on more recent developments.