Karl Ziegler - Early Career of a Scientist

Karl Ziegler is considered one of the most outstanding chemists of the 20th century. In particular, his work on organometallic mixed catalysts, which allows the polymerization of ethylene at normal pressure, led to a revolution in plastics production and changed the everyday life of all mankind. In 1963, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this work, together with Giulio Natta. This article focuses on Ziegler's early career, which has received little attention to date. It describes his youth and study years in Marburg, which partly coincide with the First World War. Subsequently, his postdoctoral period is examined, which led him via Marburg and Frankfurt to his first associate professorship in Heidelberg. Special attention is paid to his relationship to National Socialism, which he opposed. As a result, Ziegler experienced professional difficulties in the 1930s, such as repeated rejection when filling various professorships. His appointment as a full professor in Halle and his subsequent directorship at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung (Coal Research), where he finally achieved his greatest research achievement, are described in the following.