100. Geburtstag von Erich Hückel

The theoretical physicist Erich Hückel, who would have become 100 years old on August 9, 1996, was one of the pioneers of quantum chemistry. The theory of conductivity of strong electrolytes ("Debye-Hückel theory") and particularly his fundamental work about the electronic structure of benzene, which has unbroken actuality for modern chemistry, are the early highlights of his peculiar scientific career. His life was strongly characterized by the late recognition of his achievements in theoretical chemistry, which can partly be explained by the dominance of experimental chemistry in the history of the science, and by the long uncertainty of his academic position.