Heisenberg arrived in Leipzig in October 1927, the new
head of its Institute for Theoretical Physics. Leipzig had grown
outdated, as its aging professors were failing to keep up with
the rapid pace of new developments in relativity and quantum mechanics.
Heisenberg and his experimentalist counterpart, Peter Debye (who
also headed the Institute for Physics, of which Heisenberg's was
a subdivision), revitalized the school by virtue of their presence
alone, attracting many new students who were attracted by the excitement
of modern physics. Indeed, several of Heisenberg's courses set
school enrollment records. Because of his young age and perpetually
youthful lifestyle, Heisenberg got along well with his students,
and even took them on trips similar to his youth movement excursions.
In Leipzig he also fit effortlessly into the elite social circles,
consisting largely of book publishers, university professors, judges,
and attorneys–a combination of wealth and culture. Here, Heisenberg's
musical prowess served him well, for music served as one of the
primary cultural uniting factors among the elite.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the central questions
of physics began to change. First was the problem of how to reconcile
quantum mechanics with relativity–the search for a relativistic
quantum field theory–a question that still occupies physicists
today. Heisenberg helped lead the way on this problem, working
directly with Pauli. The two proposed a theory in 1929, in a paper
entitled "On the Quantum Dynamics of Wave Fields." Their theory
was far from complete, however, as it left several matters unresolved.
While Heisenberg was struggling with these problems, his
father passed away in 1930. Their relationship had become rather
distant; while Heisenberg appreciated his father's support, he
also became annoyed at his attempts to meddle in his career. Perhaps
what moved Heisenberg most at the time of his father's death were
feelings of his own mortality. He retreated for a short time from
the big questions to pursue teaching and other work more earnestly,
feeling that answers would come only with further experimental
evidence.
Heisenberg would not have to wait long. In early 1932,
James Chadwick discovered the neutron, and shortly afterward Heisenberg
published the first modern theory of nuclear physics. The existence
of the neutron helped him explain a number of different forces, largely
concerned with the previously unexplained stability of the nucleus.
Only weeks after Heisenberg completed the third paper
of his nuclear physics trilogy, Hitler was appointed Chancellor
of Germany. Within months, thousands of Jews and political opponents lost
their jobs and left the country. Heisenberg, still firm in his
belief that science was above politics and that anti-Semitism was
a purely political issue, made no active response. However, as his
colleagues in the scientific world began to lose their jobs or
resign, he turned to the influential Max Planck for advice. Though
the two men, separated by over forty years of age, made an unlikely
team, they did everything they could to slow down the mass emigration
of scientists, promoting the hope that conditions would improve
soon. However, the situation only worsened and they could do little
to prevent it. Heisenberg even became angry at Schrödinger for
resigning from Berlin despite being non-Jewish and therefore out
of harm's way. Heisenberg was apparently more concerned with the
well being of German physics than any broader principles. Though Heisenberg
and Planck's intentions may have been good, they were also shortsighted.
The men failed to recognize that their continued support of German
physics constituted an implicit acceptance of the Nazi regime.
Records show that Heisenberg never joined the Nazi party,
but he performed its required duties without complaint. On a personal level,
he likely disapproved of certain Nazi policies as excessive, but he
never felt driven to protest. The only explanation of his behavior is
the same that applies to many Germans facing the same dilemma at
the time. Heisenberg's life was bound up with the culture and people
of Germany, and though the new regime disoriented him, he was not
moved to the point of breaking away from his homeland. Like his
fellow citizens, he simply found ways to rationalize his choices.
Germany, on the other hand, had good reason to be proud
of Heisenberg. In November 1933 he received the Max Planck Medal from
the German Physical Society, and only days later he found out that
he would receive the 1932 Nobel Prize for physics. At the ceremony
there was a bit of awkward tension, as Schrödinger was there only
to share the 1933 prize with Dirac, while Born was slighted entirely
despite essential contributions to the work for which Heisenberg
had won–namely, the "creation of quantum mechanics."
In 1935, Nazi policies became harsher, and several of
Heisenberg's friends and colleagues lost their jobs. Members of
the faculty met to discuss their options, but their attempts to
voice protest were immediately shut down. The only option that
remained was resignation, and Heisenberg finally considered this
option seriously. But Planck, who sincerely believed that fighting
from within was the best option, urged him to stay on. The hope
was that scientists like Heisenberg could preserve the bright spots
of German culture and science until better times arrived. Thus
he made the crucial decision to stay at his post, no matter how
bad the conditions became.
