The ‘witches’ sabbath’ of 1910

In 1910 a number of renowned scientists discuss the organization of the 1st Solvay Conference on Physics, a founding event of modern physics.

Walther Nernst, Max Planck, Hendrik Lorentz and Ernest Solvay are (with Robert Goldschmidt) the protagonists of this unique adventure that will lead to the foundation of both an International Institute for Physics in 1912 and an International Institute for Chemistry in 1913.

http://bib56.ulb.ac.be/uploads/r/null/f/6/d/f6db9dc8c48b43a52da49b920006ad2d37fc231f2107feec6f12d3f1ea119a00/Ernest_Solvay_1900s.jpg

Ernest Solvay (1838-1922)

Ernest Solvay was a Belgian manufacturer and philanthropist, and inventor of the ‘Solvay process’ (for the industrial manufacture of sodium carbonate). He actively supported scientific research.

http://bib56.ulb.ac.be/uploads/r/null/0/c/5/0c52beb32633ef55318776713dc9ebcff3cecc8a5bb07553a09546ce0a305b63/Solvay_1_1729.pdf

Lettre de Marie Curie à Walther Nernst, 3 juillet 1911

Marie Curie announces to Walther Nernst that she will be accepting Ernest Solvay’s invitation to participate in the first Solvay Conference on Physics. She asks Walther Nernst to pass on her response to Ernest Solvay and to thank the latter for his invitation.

http://bib56.ulb.ac.be/uploads/r/null/b/c/e/bceec202ecd76d7fed52d045068a38d16d5baaff16b86176ca3fea39d706ca7e/Solvay_1_1723.pdf

Lettre de Marcel Brillouin à Hendrik Lorentz, 20 juin 1911

Marcel Brillouin is a French theoretician who is invited to join the Conference at the request of Ernest Solvay.
This invitation is followed by that of three other French nationals: Marie Curie, Henri Poincaré and Maurice de Broglie (in order to restore the balance between the representatives of the leading nations).

http://bib56.ulb.ac.be/uploads/r/null/1/c/7/1c7417c893f9431276417dac67d7c1f1be7b27c1c0bed7029f773b7ca08e5980/Robert_Goldschmidt_1909.jpg

Robert Goldschmidt (1877-1935)

Robert Goldschmidt was a Belgian physicist, a collaborator of Ernest Solvay’s, and Walther Nernst’s assistant.