This is the 7th post in a series celebrating the centennial of the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Visit the History of Science Collections to explore the events and issues raised by Copenhagen, a play by Michael Frayn and directed by Susan Shaughnessy that will be performed at the University of Oklahoma as part of the Centennial celebration of the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy. (See announcement here, with dates and times of all performances.)
Frayn’s play is an imaginative reconstruction of the 1941 meeting in Copenhagen between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. Bohr’s wife Margrethe is another character in the play. In the play, Frayn explores the reason behind Heisenberg’s trip to occupied Copenhagen while Germany was at war with the Allies and wrestles with the moral role of scientists in the quest to develop an atomic bomb.
The History of Science Collections offers a special opportunity to consult numerous monographs related to the play (BL 521; click Contact Us above for directions). If you have a historical question raised by the play, come to the Roller Reading Room and examine books about Bohr, Heisenberg and their meeting in 1941, including scholarly assessments of Frayn’s interpretation.
In addition, the current exhibit in the lobby of the History of Science displays original publications of Bohr, Heisenberg and Einstein, along with items from the Nielsen archives.
Finally, the Sunday, Sept. 12 Matinee Performance of Copenhagen will be followed by a Symposium featuring Peter Barker (History of Science), Tom Boyd (Religious Studies), Kae Kroger (Drama), Zach Messite (International Programs), Kim Milton (Physics) and Zev Trachtenberg (Philosophy).
More information
Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy centennial events links:
- Centennial home page.
- Performance of the play Copenhagen by Michael Frayn, Weitzenhoffer Theatre, Fine Arts Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, September 9-12, 2010. (Publicity flyer.)
- Schedule of Events.