Hans-Peter Dürr

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This article is about the German physicist. For the German anthropologist, see Hans Peter Duerr.

Hans-Peter Dürr
Dürr in 2007
Born(1929-10-07)7 October 1929
Stuttgart, Germany
Died18 May 2014(2014-05-18) (aged 84)
Munich, Germany
OccupationPhysicist
AwardsOrder of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Right Livelihood Award

Hans-Peter Dürr (7 October 1929 – 18 May 2014) was a German physicist. He worked on

gravitation, epistemology, and philosophy, and he advocated responsible scientific and energy policies.[1] In 1987, he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for "his profound critique of the Strategic Defense Initiative
(SDI) and his work to convert high technology to peaceful uses."

Early life and education

Hans-Peter Dürr was born in Stuttgart in 1929. Dürr studied physics in Stuttgart, graduating with a Diploma in 1953 and did postgraduate studies at University of California, Berkeley, completing his Ph.D. in 1956 supervised by Edward Teller.

Career

From 1958 until 1976 he was a research associate of

Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.[2]
The same year he was a guest professor in Berkeley, California and
Madras, India.[2]

Until 1997 he was professor of

Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich
. Between 1978 and 1997 he was executive Director of the Max Planck Institute for Physics (Werner-Heisenberg-Institute) and Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Munich several times.[2] He was Vice executive director 1972-1977, 1981–1986 and 1993-1995.

Advocacy

In the 1980s, Dürr advocated the cause of peace as a member of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. In 1983, he helped co-fund the Scientists' Initiative "Responsibility for Peace", which led to the Scientists' Peace Congress in Mainz attended by 3,300 scientists and the Mainzer Appell, a declaration against further nuclear armament. In 1990, another large scientists' convention in Göttingen warned against the militarization of space. In support of these conventions, Dürr gave a series of lectures at numerous German universities. Dürr was a leading critic of the US Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), otherwise known as Star Wars.[3]

In 1986 Dürr proposed a World Peace Initiative, on a similar scale to the SDI, to solve environmental problems, and achieve social justice and peace. In 1987 this was reborn as the Global Challenges Network, which received the Right Livelihood Award together with Dürr.[4]

More recently,[when?] Dürr contributed to the global environmental movement. He served as a member of the board of Greenpeace Germany and as a member of the International Advisory Council on the Economic Development of Hainan in Harmony with the Natural Environment in China. In 1996, Dürr was made a member of the UN Secretary General's international advisory group for the Habitat II Conference in Istanbul.

Dürr was a member of the

viable development, emphasizing energy efficiency and sufficiency as a point of entry. He was a founder member of the German Vereinigung für Ökologische Ökonomie.[2]

Later years , emeritus after 1997

In 2005, together with

Potsdam Manifesto and the Potsdam Denkschrift as a follow-up to the Russell–Einstein Manifesto of 1955. They were signed by a large group of scientists from all over the world, including 20 laureates of the Right Livelihood Award
.

From 2006 until his death, he was a founding councillor at the World Future Council, and a supporter of the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, an organisation which campaigns for democratic reformation of the United Nations.[5][dead link]

He also championed various social justice causes, and helped fund the "David against Goliath" organization protesting against a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Bavaria.[citation needed]

Personal life

Dürr was married more than 50 years, had 4 children and numerous grandchildren. He died in May 2014 in Munich.[1]

Honors

  • Award of Merit 1956, Oakland in USA;
  • Right Livelihood Award 1987 („Alternative Nobelprice“), Stockholm;[3]
  • Waldemar-von-Knoeringen-Award 1989, Munich;
  • Ecology Award „Goldene Schwalbe“ 1990, Darmstadt;
  • Natura Obligat Medaille 1991, Bundeswehr University Munich;
  • Elise and Walter Haas International Award 1993, University of California;
  • Medal `München leuchtet' 1996 in Gold, Culture Award Munich;
  • Honorary Doctor Dr.phil. h.c, 2002, University Oldenburg, Philosophical Faculty;
  • Großes Verdienstkreuz des
    Bundesverdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, 2004, Berlin.[6]

Memberships

Books (selection)

  • What is Life? Scientific Approaches and Philosophical Positions (co-author, co-ed.), World Scientific, 2002,
    ISBN 981-02-4740-0
  • Unified Theories of Elementary Particles (ed.), Springer Verlag, 1982.
  • Werner Heisenberg, Gesammelte Werke (co-ed.), 9 vols., Piper und Springer Verlag (1985–1993).
  • Physik und Transzendenz (ed.), Scherz Verlag, 1986.
  • Das Netz des Physikers, Hanser Verlag, 1988.
  • De la Science à l’Éthique, Bibliothèque Albin Michel Sciences 1988.
  • Geist und Natur (ed.), Scherz Verlag, 1989.
  • Respekt vor der Natur - Verantwortung für die Natur, Piper Verlag, 1994.
  • Die Zukunft ist ein unbetretener Pfad, Herder Verlag, 1995.
  • Zukünftige Energiepolitik (co-author), Economica Verlag, 1995.
  • Umweltverträgliches Wirtschaften (co-ed.), Agenda Verlag, 1995.
  • Gott, der Mensch und die Wissenschaft (co-author), Pattloch Verlag, 1997.
  • Rupert Sheldrake in der Diskussion (co-ed.), Scherz Verlag, 1997.
  • Für eine zivile Gesellschaft, dtv 2000.
  • Elemente des Lebens (co-ed.), Graue Edition, 2000.
  • Wir erleben mehr als wir begreifen (co-author), Herder spektrum, 2001.
  • Wirklichkeit, Wahrheit, Werte und die Wissenschaft (co-author, co-ed.), BWV, 2003.
  • Auch die Wissenschaft spricht nur in Gleichnissen, Herder spektrum, 2004.
  • H.P.Dürr/
    ISBN 978-3-451-05965-0

References

  1. ^ a b "Nachruf auf Hans-Peter Dürr - Physik und Frieden - Wissen - Süddeutsche.de". Sueddeutsche.de. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Hans-Peter Dürr, 7.10.1929 – 18.05.2014". Vereinigung für Ökologische Ökonomie voeoe.de. Retrieved 19 April 2024.[, 7.10.1929 – 18.05.2014], voeoe.de, accessed 25 February 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Hans-Peter Dürr (Germany)". Rightlivelihood.org. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Hans-Peter Dürr - BetterWorldHeroes.com - Biography". Betterworld.net. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Supporters". Campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  6. ^ "Hans Peter Durr". The World Future Council. 15 May 2014. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.

External links

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