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LifeofMarianSmoluchowski
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Lippmann’slaboratoryatthetimewasmodernandwellequippedand,since
Lippmannwasmainlyinterestedinhisownresearchandpracticaldevelopments,
therewasagreatdealoffreedombutalsoessentiallynostimulatingdiscussion.The
atmosphereofKelvin’slaboratorywasexactlytheopposite:Inspiteofhisseventy
yearsKelvinwasfullofinitiativeandenthusiasmbuttherewasalmosttoomuch
controlofwhatwentonintheratherpoorlyequippedlaboratory.Smoluchowski
gainedgreatrespectforKelvin,washappyworkinginhislaboratory,becameaRe-
searchFellowand,manyyearslater,obtainedfromthereanhonorarydegree.In
Warburg’swellequippedlaboratorySmoluchowskiwasindependentandableto
attackenthusiasticallyhisownworkwhichwasagainbothexperimentalandthe-
oretical.Throughouthistimeabroad,Smoluchowskitravelledwithapieceofura-
niumwhichwasthenanobjectofgreatcuriosity.
In1898hereturnedtoViennaandhissubsequentworkthereandcontactswith
Boltzmannweremostproductive.Ayearlaterhewasofferedandacceptedachair
attheUniversityofLwów1andin1901hemarriedZoF1aBaraniecka-apretty,
blue-eyeddaughterofaprofessorofmathematicsattheJagiellonianUniversityin
Kraków.InspiteofSmoluchowski’spreviousreservehewaspassionatelyinlove
withhiswife.Thishappiness,whichhedescribedasKanewlife”andwhichisat-
testedtobyhismanylovingletterstohiswife,combinedwiththerelaxedandun-
hurriedatmosphereofLwówcontributedtohisgreatestperiodofcreativity.Itis
atthistimethatsomeofhisbesttheorieswereatleastoriginatedifnotfullydevel-
oped.Hiswifeassistedhimbyeditinghispapersandcorrectinghisgalleyproofs.
Shenotonlyadoredhimasahusbandbutrecognizedandadmiredhisgenius.This
loveandrespectshekeptfreshuntilshediedin1959,42yearsafterherhusband’s
death.
InspiteofhishappinessandcreativityinLwów,Smoluchowskicomplained
oftheprovincialismofthetownandthelackofcolleagueswithwhomhecould
discusshisworkandthusagreatdealofscientiF1ccorrespondencestemsfromthis
period.HealsomadefrequenttripstoVienna,Krakówandalonger9-monthvisit
toCambridgein1905.Heverymuchenjoyedatwo-weeklecturingvisittoWarsaw
butthetripsawayweremarredbyseparationfromhiswife.Often,onreturning
tohisfamilywhowereonvacationinthecountry,hewouldbemetbyhiswifeat
thestationandbeforegoinghometheywouldseekasolitarywalkintheF1eldsor
woodswheretheycouldenjoythehappinessoftheirreunionalone.
LwówwasalsothetimeofSmoluchowski’sclosecontactwithEinsteinconcern-
ingBrownianmotionandwithEhrenfestwhovisitedhim.In1913hewascalledto
1
KLwów”inPolishcorrespondstoKLvov”inRussian,KLviv”inUkrainianandEnglish,KLemberg”in
German,andKLéopol”inFrench.
