Theodor Vahlen

Karl Theodor Vahlen (* June 30, 1869 in Vienna, † November 16, 1945 in Prague ) was a German mathematician and representatives of the anti-Semitic "German mathematics ".

Life

Theodore was the son of classical scholar John Vahlen, studied in Berlin in 1890, received his doctorate in 1893 at Lazarus Immanuel Fuchs ' contributions to additive number theory " and in 1911 with stopover in Königsberg ( where he in 1897 lecturer was ) Professor of Mathematics in Greifswald, where he taught since 1904. Originally he worked with Reiner mathematics as number theory and the foundations of geometry. With his appointment in 1911 he turned - not least for ideological reasons - applied mathematics to businesses, particularly elementary construction and approximation methods. In 1923 he was rector of the University of Greifswald.

During World War II he served as a battery commander and battalion commander, most recently as a reserve major in the 6th Royal Saxon Field Artillery Regiment No. 68

1919 Vahlen was initially a member of the German National People's Party ( DNVP ). In 1923 he joined the Greater German People's Party, an Austrian equivalent of the Nazi Party. In 1924 he was NSFP, member of the Reichstag and the first NSDAP Gauleiter of Pomerania, where he led the National Socialist daily newspaper published The North German observers. 1927, the issue was, however, set under pressure from Hitler and Vahlen dismissed as Gauleiter, because he belonged to the group led by the brothers Gregor and Otto Strasser, a company incorporated under the Hitler putsch in 1923 Nazi group with socialist tendencies, which distanced itself from Hitler and after its release was systematically displaced from the party. In the same year Vahlen was released after a long process in Greifswald without right to a pension because he the Empire flag and the flag of Prussia did catch on university buildings on Constitution Day 1924.

After a stopover in 1930 as a professor at the Technical University of Vienna and his rehabilitation in the NSDAP he could teach again in 1933 at the University of Greifswald as professor of mathematics. Since 1933, he was in the Prussian Ministry of Culture operates since April 1934 as head of the university department. 1934-1937 led Vahlen assistant secretary in the Office science newly founded Reich Ministry for Science, Education, and Culture. In this position he was able to promote the anti-Semitic efforts of the mathematician Ludwig Bieberbach a " German mathematics ", with which he in 1936 an eponymous magazine " German mathematics " brought out. In 1937 he had to leave the office because of his involvement in the power struggles that led as president of the German Research Foundation for the overthrow of John Stark. This was one of the main representatives of the anti-Semitic "German physics ", one of the "German mathematics " corresponding phenomenon. From 1934 he was also a professor at the University of Berlin.

1939 Vahlen was first inserted responsibility from Reichserziehungsminster Bernhard Rust as president of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin under disregard of the right of initiative of the Academy. Here he was placed on the page Ernst Heymann as Vice President, Helmuth Scheel as director and Ludwig Bieberbach and Hermann Grapow as secretaries. Although he was not confirmed in subsequent elections the Academy, Vahlen remained president. Due to enforcement problems at the Academy handed Vahlen 1943, now 74 years old, the competent Reich Education Mister a resignation a, which was granted with effect from 1 April 1943. 1944/45, Vahlen worked as a lecturer at the German University in Prague. When the war ended he was arrested in Prague. He died in November 1945 in Czech custody.

Vahlen was from 1933 to 1936 member of the SA. In 1936, he stepped over to the SS and was awarded in 1943 to the rank of SS brigade leader.

Vahlen dealt among other things with number theory (including continued fractions ), geometry (especially geometric constructions ) and applied mathematics (theory of the compass, ballistics, celestial mechanics ).