Rudolf Fleischmann

Through his association with Bothe, he became involved in the German nuclear energy project, also known as the Uranium Club; one of Fleischmann's areas of interest was isotope separation techniques.

After he returned to Germany 1946, he became Director of the State Physical Institute at the University of Hamburg and developed it as a center of nuclear research.

[9] During the period in which deutsche Physik was gaining prominence, which started right after Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, a foremost concern of many scientists in Germany was to maintain autonomy against political encroachment.

[11] This was, in part, due to political organizations, such as the Nationalsozialistischer Deutscher Dozentenbund (NSDDB, National Socialist German University Lecturers League), whose district leaders had a decisive role in the acceptance of an Habilitationsschrift, which was a prerequisite to attaining the rank of Privatdozent necessary to becoming a university lecturer.

[13] After this, the pendulum began to swing back to standards of achievement being used as a basis for making academic appointments, rather than political considerations.

[17][18][19] By the time the American Operation Alsos forces had entered Strasboug in late November 1944, von Weizsäcker had already escaped back to Germany.

Fleischmann was sent to the United States for interrogation on the Uranverein and to exploit his scientific expertise in nuclear and atomic physics.

During this time, Fleischmann developed a new method for determining the optical constants of thin metal layers.

As the Cold War developed, this restriction was eased and Fleischmann was able to make the University of Hamburg a center for nuclear physics research.

The 18 eminent scientists were opposed to arming the West German military with tactical nuclear weapons.

The reports were confiscated under the Allied Operation Alsos and sent to the United States Atomic Energy Commission for evaluation.