Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T00:02:32.339Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Germany’s difficulties in becoming a member of the International Astronomical Union

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2019

Roland Wielen
Roland Wielen*
Affiliation:
Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie, Universität Heidelberg, Mönchhofstrasse 12-14, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany email: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

After the foundation of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), it took nearly 32 years until Germany became a national member of the IAU. This unfortunate delay was due to both international politics and discussions within Germany (e.g. about the future role of the Astronomische Gesellschaft). The first Statutes of the IAU of 1919 excluded Germany, Austria and other countries from membership for political reasons. When the IAU Statutes were revised in 1931, Germany’s membership was possible, but could not be realized because of financial problems. In the mean time, German astronomers (as individuals) were often able to attend General Assemblies of the IAU as invited participants and to work in IAU Commissions as members. After World War II, Germany became a member of the IAU in 1951, Austria in 1955. In 1962, East Germany was accepted as an additional member. The reunification of Germany in 1990 clarified this situation. Member of the IAU is now one unified Germany.

Keywords

IAU membershipIAU adhering countriesGermanyAustria
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 13 , Symposium S349: Under One Sky: The IAU Centenary Symposium , December 2018 , pp. 205 - 213
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2019 

References

Bergeron, J. (ed.) 1992, Transactions of the IAU, Vol. XXIBGoogle Scholar
Blaauw, A. 1994, History of the IAU. The Birth and First Half-Century of the International Astronomical Union. Kluwer Academic Publisher, Dordrecht / Boston / London, 296 p.Google Scholar
Dick, W. R. (ed.) 2000, Acta Historica Astronomiae, 10, 148Google Scholar
Fowler, A. (ed.) 1922, Transactions of the IAU, Vol. IGoogle Scholar
Freiesleben, H. C. 1962, Max Wolf: Der Bahnbrecher der Himmelsphotographie. 1863 - 1932. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft, Stuttgart, 241 p.Google Scholar
Gingrich, C. H. 1949, Popular Astronomy, 57, 307Google Scholar
Lüdtke, G. (ed.) 1933, Minerva. Jahrbuch der gelehrten Welt, 31. Jahrgang, 1933, 1. Abteilung, 1. Band (A–L), Forschungsinstitute, ... Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / Leipzig, p. 181Google Scholar
Lüdtke, G. (ed.) 1937, Minerva. Jahrbuch der gelehrten Welt, 32. Jahrgang, 1937, Abteilung Forschungsinstitute, ... Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / Leipzig, p. 130Google Scholar
Oort, J. H. (ed.) 1939, Transactions of the IAU, Vol. VIGoogle Scholar
Oort, J. H. (ed.) 1950, Transactions of the IAU, Vol. VIIGoogle Scholar
Oosterhoff, P. Th. (ed.) 1954, Transactions of the IAU, Vol. VIIIGoogle Scholar
Sadler, D. H. 1962, Transactions of the IAU, Vol. XIBGoogle Scholar
Schmeidler, F. (1988), Die Geschichte der Astronomischen Gesellschaft, Jubiläumsband 125 Jahre Astronomische Gesellschaft, Hamburg, 69 p.Google Scholar
Stratton, F. J. M. (ed.) 1933, Transactions of the IAU, Vol. IVGoogle Scholar
Stratton, F. J. M. (ed.) 1936, Transactions of the IAU, Vol. VGoogle Scholar
Torge, W. (2007), Die Geschichte der Geodäsie in Deutschland. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York, p. 295Google Scholar
Wielen, R., & Wielen, U. 2012, Von Berlin über Sermuth nach Heidelberg. Das Schicksal des Astronomischen Rechen-Instituts in der Zeit von 1924 bis 1954 anhand von Schriftstücken aus dem Archiv des Instituts. Published in electronic form on the Open Access Platform HeiDOK of the University of Heidelberg (Universitätsbibliothek), 400 p. (with an abstract in English). www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/14604, nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-146043Google Scholar
Wielen, R., & Wielen, U. 2013, August Kopff, die Relativitätstheorie, und zwei Briefe Albert Einsteins an Kopff im Archiv des Astronomischen Rechen-Instituts. Published in electronic form on the Open Access Platform HeiDOK of the University of Heidelberg (Universitätsbibliothek), 253 p. (with an abstract in English). www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/15653, nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-156534Google Scholar
Wielen, R., & Wielen, U. 2016, Astronomische Ephemeriden, Navigation und Krieg. Die erstaunliche Zusammenarbeit der Ephemeriden-Institute von Deutschland, England, Frankreich und den USA im Zweiten Weltkrieg nach Dokumenten im Archiv des Astronomischen Rechen-Instituts. Published in electronic form on the Open Access Platform HeiDOK of the University of Heidelberg (Universitätsbibliothek), 253 p. (with an abstract in English). www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/22021, nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-220213Google Scholar