A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve: Studia Historica 6. (Szeged, 2003)

András LENGYEL – András LENGYEL, jr.: Polányi Mihály levelei Orowan Egonhoz

MICHAEL POLANYI'S LETTERS TO EGON OROWAN ANDRÁS LENGYEL - ANDRÁS LENGYEL, JR. The following letters are from the legacy of Professor Egon Orowan (19021989); they are presently owned by Orowan's nephew, dr. techn. Lóránt Tóth (Budapest). The addressee, Egon Orowan was born in Budapest, on 2 August 1902. He pursued his secondary studies in the state grammar school in Mester Street, in the 9th district in Budapest. After that he continued his studies at the University of Vienna, and then at the University of Berlin, where he did significant research in the field of metal physics between 1928 and 1933. After Adolf Hitler's coming to power (January 1933) he returned to Budapest, where he wrote an article, the publication of which „marks the birth of modern metal physics". (This work was published in three parts in the issues of Zeitschrift für Physik in 1934, entitled Zur Kristallplastizität.) „In the same issue of the journal, in which Orowan described the concept of dislocation and thus opened the way to the explanation of plastic deformations of metals, essentially the same result was achieved by Michael Polanyi, another Hungarian working in Manchester." (Makra, 1997. 613.) The personal connection between Orowan and Polanyi must obviously originate from their common years in Berlin, and, further to their Hungarian origin, arises from the partial kinship of their scientific interest. Their connection was revived when Orowan, who was of Jewish religion, got into difficult existential circumstances and his research possibilities shrank due to the advance of national socialism. Though he could work in the laboratory of Egyesült Izzó in Budapest for a while and got an invitation from the USSR (which was not realized), he wanted to get to the United Kingdom. Therefore in the summer of 1935 he asked for Michael Polanyi's help who was already working in Manchester — so their correspondence started. The letters Michael Polanyi (1891-1976) sent to Orowan prove interesting and important for several reasons. 1. They reveal the attempt of a Central European Jewish scientist to emigrate, his existential fight for a position and research chances. This story is interesting even regardless of Orowan and Polanyi, as it is related not only to the story of Orowan's personal life but was the common fate of quite a broad stratum. 2. The letters give insight into the working of relief funds managing Jewish refugee affairs in the UK. 3. Last but not least: one can learn about a field of Polanyi's interest and activity which has not been sufficiently well known so far. It is found that beyond his academic activities in the narrow sense, Polanyi also devoted his energies to the managing of refugee affairs.