On stage and behind the scenes in Göttingen: Otto Blumenthal, Richard Courant, Emmy Noether and Paul Bernays

Abstract

A special edition of the journal Die Naturwissenschaften was published on 27 January 1922 in honor of David Hilbert's 60th birthday. It included a selection of essays in which Hilbert's closest colleagues and ex-students paid homage to his contributions to various fields of mathematics: Otto Toeplitz introduced Hilbert the algebraist, Max Dehn explained his work in geometry, Richard Courant dealt with Hilbert as an analyst and Max Born described what he had accomplished in physics. Paul Bernays closed the circle with reflections on Hilbert's importance for the philosophy of mathematics. These individual aspects were preceded by a biographical sketch in which Otto Blumenthal depicted the creative phases of Hilbert's career as an unprecedented victory march. His admiration for Hilbert's achievements, as well as his sympathy for the man himself, could not be any more evident than in this lively portrait of his teacher.