Erich Schumann

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Karl Erich Schumann (born 1898 in Potsdam - died 1985) was a German physicist specializing in acoustics and explosives.

His important habilitation paper "Physics of tone colours", published Berlin 1929, in which he brought the proof that music instruments have fixed formants and that their structures change depending on the dynamic and the highth of the tone. Since 1929 Schumann was managing the department of Acoustics at the Institute of Physics at the Berlin University, teaching experimental and theoretical physics. (1)

In 1934 he headed the research department (Heereswaffenamt HWA) of the German army (2) On the 15th of June 1939 he founded the department for atom physics at the HWA. He gave the command for this to Dr. Kurt Diebner. From then on Schumann was seemingly not intensively involved in nuclear physics anymore. (3) This would change in the year 1943. Especially the work of the hollow charge experts of the HWA unter the command of Dr. Walter Trinks which brought promising new ways to an atom bomb.

Trinks habilitation "Release of atomic energy through nucleosynthesis with light elements" was the basis for the idea of a thermonuclear bomb, on which also other research groups in other weapon development departments experimented in the same time. In autumn 1944 Schumann and Trinks' research teams were stopped by the SS. If they themselves were still involved in the weapon configuration in October 1944 and March 1945 remains open. Werner Grothmann, chief adjutant of Heinrich Himmler, told in interviews between 2000 and 2002 that the (atom)bomb was the last hope for the SS under Himmler and General Hans Kammler and also Adolf Hitler. (4)

Walter Trinks was taken prisoner by the Americans in middle of 1945, Schumann goes into hiding for almost two years "the Eastern and Western occupation authorities had a high interest in getting me ..." (5)

In Autumn 1946 he contacted the Max-Planck-Institut in Göttingen which immediately took position for him towards the British occupation authorities. (6)

In July 1947 Schumann gave himself over to the British, who interogated him a couple of days and let him go in August 1947. In the mids of 1947 Schumann had his old fellow-worker recapitulate out of their memory secret patent which was destroyed at the end of the war on an eight page research paper. "After recomposing this report their was no doubt that based on all those findings during the war and the known discoveries this would lead to their goal. A small experiment, which eventually had to be explained, brought positive results in the laboratory." (7)

In the secret patents and Schumann's report the findings on the fusion research of the HWA were pointed out. With the "x-trigger" named configuration, the scientists of the HWA had found a way to obtain thermonuclear reaction. (7/8)

The report was given a little later to the British who did not understand it. Schumann was willing to disclose their findings of the research of the HWA and was preparing in autumn 1948 a publication "The truth on the German research and propositions for the atomic problems (1939-45)".(9) He wanted to obtain for his team and himself the scientific priority on those findings and deny his responsibility in the failure of the Uranverein. Colleagues and friends urged him to avoid breaking the rules of the allied occupation with the publication of it. (10)
In the end he withdrew the manuscript.

The patents of the group were about 4 problems: process and devices to establish highest pressure and temperatures, synthetic manufacturing of diamants, atomic reactions and atomic highloading. In August 1952 the patent was applicated. The later founded Ministry of Defence of the Federal German Republik took over the patent and put a vail secrecy over the application. Because of the long years of vain efforts of evaluating the patent, the group separated. Erich Schumann died in April 1985.

[edit] Footnotes

(1) Barch, Berlin-Lichterfelde, A 0530 Erich Schumann (5.1.1898); heritage Erich Schumann, his personal papers.

(2) Hans Ebert, Hermann Joseph Ruhpieper, Technische Wissenschaft und nationalsozialistische Ruestungspolitik: Die Wehrtechnische Fakultaet der TH Berlin 1933-1945, in: Reinhard Rürup (Hg.), Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft. Beitraege zur Geschichte der TU Berlin 1879-1979, Berlin 1979; Burghard Ciesla, Abschied von der "reinen" Wissenschaft. Wehrtechnik und Anwendungsforschung in der Preussischen Akademie nach 1933, in: Wolfram Fischer (Herausgeber), Die Preussische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Berlin 2000, S. 483-511; Werner Luck, Erich Schumann und die Studentenkompanie des HWA. Ein Zeitzeugenbericht, in: Dresdener Beitraege zur Geschichte der Technikwissenschaften Nr. 27, 2001.

(3) Werner Holtz, Die Uran-Atomkernspaltung, 5. Maerz 1949 (mit Ergänzungen von Richard Glagow aus dem Jahr 1968) in: Bundesarchiv, Militaerarchiv (BA-MA) Freiburg, Nachlass General Erich Schneider N 625/4; Akte Glagow.

(4) The book "Hitlers Bombe" by the German historian Rainer Karlsch (published March 2005) brought new facts about a nuclear program in Germany between 1939 and 1945. Parts of the "The Grothmann interviews" were published in the book.

(5) Writing from Erich Schumann 5.1.1957, heritage Schumann.

(6) Writing from Prof. Max Planck 19.10.1946 to the teaching crew of the Universität Göttingen, heritage Schumann.

(6a) Writing from Prof. R. Purchase (Research Branch, Economic Sub Commission) 15.8.1947.

(7) The Schumann heritage was discovered by the historian Rainer Karlsch and journalist Heiko Petermann at a former team member of Schumann. The papers were given to the Military Archive of the German Bundesarchiv.

(8) Patent Nr. 977825 "Vorrichtung, um Material zur Einleitung von mechanischen, thermischen oder nuklearen Prozessen auf extrem hohe Druecke und Temperaturen zu bringen", Erfinder: Schumann, Trinks; Anmelder: Bundesverteidigungsministerium 13.08.1952, Veroeffentlichung 08.04.1971;
(Device to force nuclear process with extreme high pressure and temperatures.) Patent Nr. 977863: "Vorrichtung zur Behandlung von Materialien mit hohen Druecken und Temperaturen", Erfinder Schumann, Trinks, declarant: Bundesverteidigungsministerium 13.08.1952 Veroeffentlichung 25.11.1971

(9) Contract of Erich Schumann with Rowohlt Publishing of 23.9.1948, unpublished Manuscript 1949, heritage Erich Schumann.

(10) Letter from Schumann to lawyer Dr. Scharper 16.8.1950, heritage Erich Schumann.

[edit] Sources

Guenter Nagel "Atomversuche in Deutschland", Heinrich-Jung-Verlag Zella-Mehlis 2002 ISBN 3-930588-59-5
Physik der Klangfarben Band II, Leipzig 1940 (Breitkopf & Haertel)
P. H. Mertens, Die Schumannschen Klangfarbengesetze, 1975, Verlag E. Bochinsky, Frankfurt/M, ISBN 3-920112-54-7