Käte Fenchel
Encyclopedia
Käte Fenchel née Käte Sperling (1905 - 1983) Jewish German
mathematician
, best known for her work on non-abelian groups.
Born in Berlin
of a newspaper reporter and a bookkeeper, young Käte learned to read and write sooner than most children, and after skipping a few grades, was given scholarships to attend private school. She faced some gender discrimination in attempting to complete her studies in pure mathematics at the University of Berlin
, and went into mathematics education as a fallback at first. As Adolf Hitler
came to power, she lost her job and married Werner Fenchel
, also a Jew. The newlyweds escaped to Denmark, where she helped other German Jews escape Nazi persecution. But when Denmark
was occupied by the Nazis, they had to flee to Sweden
. After the war, the Fenchels returned to Denmark, but Käte did not publish any papers until two in 1962, and another in 1978.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
, best known for her work on non-abelian groups.
Born in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
of a newspaper reporter and a bookkeeper, young Käte learned to read and write sooner than most children, and after skipping a few grades, was given scholarships to attend private school. She faced some gender discrimination in attempting to complete her studies in pure mathematics at the University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
, and went into mathematics education as a fallback at first. As Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
came to power, she lost her job and married Werner Fenchel
Werner Fenchel
Moritz Werner Fenchel was a mathematician known for his contributions to geometry and to optimization theory. Fenchel established the basic results of convex analysis and nonlinear optimization theory. Fenchel's monographs and lecture-notes were very influential also...
, also a Jew. The newlyweds escaped to Denmark, where she helped other German Jews escape Nazi persecution. But when Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
was occupied by the Nazis, they had to flee to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. After the war, the Fenchels returned to Denmark, but Käte did not publish any papers until two in 1962, and another in 1978.
External links
- "Kate Fenchel", Biographies of Women Mathematicians, Agnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....