Hedwig Kohn was the daughter of a Jewish merchant and a well-off mother. She had a passion for physics since childhood and enrolled in the University of Breslau in 1907, a year before women were officially allowed to do so. She earned her doctorate in physics in 1913 under the supervision of Otto Lummer, a renowned expert in radiation measurements. She also obtained her habilitation, the highest academic qualification in Germany, in 1930. She was one of only three women (along with Lise Meitner and Hertha Sponer) to achieve this feat in physics before World War II. Kohn specialized in spectroscopy, the study of the interaction of light and matter. Today, we will know about Hedwig Kohn Physicist.

Hedwig Kohn Physicist: A Pioneer of Spectroscopy

Hedwig Kohn was a brilliant physicist who contributed significantly to spectroscopy, studying the interaction of light and matter. She was among the few women who attained academic recognition and success in Germany before World War II despite facing many challenges and obstacles due to her gender and ethnicity. She was born on April 5, 1887, in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland). She was the daughter of a Jewish merchant named Georg Kohn and his wife Helene, from a wealthy family. She had a younger brother named Walter, who later became a lawyer.

She enrolled in the University of Breslau in 1907, a year before women were officially allowed to do so. She was among the first women to study physics at the university and faced discrimination and hostility from some of her male professors and classmates. She persevered and earned her doctorate in physics in 1913 under the supervision of Otto Lummer, a renowned expert in radiation measurements. Her dissertation was on measuring black-body radiation, which is the radiation emitted by an ideal object that absorbs all incoming light. She became Lummer’s assistant and later his successor at the Physics Institute of the university. She also obtained her habilitation, the highest academic qualification in Germany, in 1930. She was one of only three women (along with Lise Meitner and Hertha Sponer) to achieve this feat in physics before World War II.

Kohn specializes in spectroscopy, which analyzes the spectrum of light emitted or absorbed by various sources, such as black bodies, atoms, and molecules. She developed methods and instruments to measure the intensity and wavelength of light with high precision and accuracy.

Hedwig Kohn: A Victim of Nazi Persecution

Kohn’s career was abruptly interrupted by the rise of Nazism in Germany. As a Jewish woman, she was dismissed from her university position in 1933 by the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service. This barred Jews and other “non-Aryans” from public service. She lost her income, her laboratory, and her academic status. She survived by working on contracts for the lighting industry until 1938 when she lost her last source of income due to the increasing anti-Jewish measures. She also witnessed the horrors of Kristallnacht, the night of November 9-10, 1938, when Nazis attacked and destroyed Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues.

Kohn realized that she had to flee Germany to save her life. However, this was not easy, as she needed a job offer abroad to obtain a visa.

Conclusion

Hedwig Kohn was a remarkable physicist who overcame many challenges and hardships. She pioneered spectroscopy and was a role model for women in science. She left behind a legacy of scientific excellence and human dignity.