Felix Klein and David Hilbert Prevented a Göttingen Appointment of Johannes Stark

Over the course of an extended process, a generational transition took place in Göttingen physics in the years 1914–1920, as the result of which the two chairs of physics held by Woldemar Voigt and Eduard Riecke were eventually replaced by Max Born and James Franck. As part of this process, the Göttingen mathematicians, led by Felix Klein and David Hilbert, prevented Johannes Stark, a Göttingen‐trained experimental physicist, from succeeding Riecke. Stark applied for the position himself with the Prussian Ministry of Culture. A particularly revealing letter dated July 1, 1915—presented here in full and contextualized—reveals his egocentric character, his dismissive attitude toward physicists who conducted mathematics‐based research, and his anti‐Semitic views even at that early stage.