Fritz Haber

[Simon R]

Is it true that Fritz Haber's wife commited suicide after the deployment of her husband's invention of chlorine gas in 1915? Is it also the case that Haber, a Prussian Jew, went on to invent Zyclon-B of all things?

Doesn't bear thinking about.

[Terry_Reeves]

Clara Haber, herself a physical chemistry graduate, did indeed commit suicide after disagreements over her husband's wartime work.

Some sources attribute its invention to Haber, but even if this is so, it was originally intended as a pesticide. Zyklon B was a trade name of the German firm Degesch, who collaborated with Tesch and Stebenow in its productuion and distribution.These in turn were associated with IG Farben who were major producers of chemicals for the German war effort in WW1 and produced much pressure to introduce chemicals as a weapon of war The chemical used was Hydrocyanic Acid (HCN), and had been used as a fumigant before 1914. During the Great War, the UK experimented with its use as a weapon but quickly abandoned the idea. France however used it in shells despite the fact that it had little effect in battlefield conditions.

After Hitler became chancellor, and purged Jewish academics, Haber came to the UK in 1933 with help from Sir Harold Hartley, who had played a significant part in Britain's CW effort in WW1. Further help from Sir William Pope, a friend of Hartley's, brought him a postion and laboratory space at Cambridge University. Ill-health however cut short his stay, and he died in Basle on 30th January 1934.

His son Ludwig, published perhaps the most comprehensive modern book on the development and use of CW in WW1, "The Poisonous Cloud", in 1986 whilst a lecturer at the University of Surrey.

Terry Reeves