Person: Schmidt (3), Harry
Harry Schmidt was a German mathematician who wrote on the application of mathematics to physics.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- Harry attended a private school in Hamburg from 1901 to 1904, then attended the Oberrealschule in Altona-Ottensen until 1907.
- In the spring of 1913 Schmidt graduated from high school passing his final examination.
- World events, however, were to have a major impact on Schmidt's university education.
- The effect of the war on Schmidt was that, as a student with expertise in physics and chemistry, he was required to undertake war work.
- In 1918 Schmidt began undertaking research at the University of Leipzig, working towards his doctoral thesis.
- Schmidt published a number of important books between 1920 and 1922, in German, English and Italian.
- In 1923 Schmidt was appointed as professor at the polytechnic institute in Koethen where he remained until 1937.
- From August 1937 Schmidt was employed as a ordinary professor for mathematics in the service of the Reich, working at the aviation laboratory in Berlin-Adlershof.
- Schmidt's home was destroyed in a bombing raid in August, before the Battle of Berlin which began in November and saw sixteen bombing raids over the winter of 1943-44.
- For a while after his home was destroyed Schmidt lived with friends in Berlin but in December he found a house in Koethen (Anhalt).
- Schmidt's employment at the aviation research laboratory came to an end.
- While he was working at the laboratory Schmidt published, jointly with Kurt Schröder, a comprehensive report on the theory of laminar boundary layers deals with the basic conceptions and equations Laminare Grenzschichten.
- Before the end of 1945 Schmidt was appointed as an ordinary professor to the Martin-Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg.
- Although he had an appointment in Halle, Schmidt could not find accommodation there so remained living in his house in Koethen which is about 25 km north of Halle.
- It was a difficult railway journey for Schmidt to have to make every day.
- Sadly, after only a year living in his new home, Schmidt developed tuberculosis and taken to hospital on 6 April.
- Schmidt then requested that he be allowed premature retirement, but the University of Halle refused his request.
- After Schmidt died his colleagues completed the manuscript he was writing giving an introduction to vector and tensors.
Born 21 June 1894, Hamburg, Germany. Died 7 September 1951, Halle, Germany.
View full biography at MacTutor
Tags relevant for this person:
Origin Germany
Thank you to the contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0! 
- Github:
-
- non-Github:
- @J-J-O'Connor
- @E-F-Robertson
References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
