14 Facts About Ludwig Hopf

Ludwig Hopf was a German-Jewish theoretical physicist who made contributions to mathematics, special relativity, hydrodynamics, and aerodynamics.

Ludwig Hopf studied under Arnold Sommerfeld at the University of Munich, where he received his Ph.

Later that year, Einstein, needing an assistant at the University of Zurich, hired Ludwig Hopf; it was an added bonus that Ludwig Hopf was a talented pianist, since Einstein played the violin and liked to play duets.

Ludwig Hopf was an ardent fan of psychoanalysis, had studied Freud and, once in Zurich, attached himself to Freud's ex-disciple Carl Jung.

Ludwig Hopf introduced Einstein to Jung, and Einstein returned to Jung's house several times over the years.

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In 1910, Ludwig Hopf collaborated and published with Einstein two papers on classical statistical aspects of radiation.

Also in that year, Ludwig Hopf accompanied Einstein to the Karl-Ferdinand University in Prague; however, he did not stay with Einstein long – due to “unsanitary conditions” in Prague.

In 1912, Ludwig Hopf married Alice Goldschmidt, with whom he had five sons and a daughter.

In 1933, with the Nazis coming to power in Germany, Ludwig Hopf was put on leave at Aachen due to his being a Jew, and in 1934 lost his position entirely.

Ludwig Hopf remained in Germany until 1939 and escaped the Nazi regime only at the last minute.

Ludwig Hopf left Germany for Great Britain with his wife and three of his children, taking a research position at Cambridge.

Ludwig Hopf moved to Dublin in July 1939 to assume a professorship of mathematics at Trinity College.

Shortly after taking up his duties at Trinity, Ludwig Hopf became seriously ill and died of thyroid failure on 21 December 1939.

Ludwig Hopf was first cousins with mathematician Heinz Ludwig Hopf and first cousins once removed with composer Franz Reizenstein.