ABSTRACT
InFebruary1880,Hertzpassedhisdoctoraldissertationon electromagneticinductioninrotatingconductors,earningamagnacum laudeforit-adistinctionrarelyconferredinBerlin.Hethenbegana salariedappointmentasHelmholtz'sassistantinthePhysicsInstitute,a postheheldforthreeyears.Hesupervisedpracticeexercisesingeneral physics,anddidresearchonhisown,boththeoreticalandexperimental, onelectrodynamicsandelasticity.Forhimtoobtainaregularfaculty appointment,however,necessitatedaperiodasPrivatdozent.Therewere alreadytoomanyPrivatdozenteninBerlin,andHertzwasagaininaframe ofmindtomoveon.Asluckwouldhaveit,acallcamethroughfromKiel justthenforaPrivatdozentinmathematicalphysics,andonHelmholtz's andKirchhoff'srecommendationHertzmovedtherein1883.Though offtoagoodstartacademically,hesoonhadsecondthoughtsabout purelytheoreticalwork,Kiellackingaphysicslaboratory.Hesetupa laboratoryathome,athisownexpense,butthatprovedapoorsubstitute forabonafideuniversitylaboratory.HelastedbuttwoyearsatKiel, increasinglyfrustratedandrestless.Hemovedon,firsttotheKarlsruhe PhysicalInstitutewherehesucceededKarlFerdinandBraun,andin1889, ontheinvitationofthePrussianKulturministerium,hebecameprofessor ofphysicsatBonn.Here,tragically,hisprematuredemisefromchronic bloodpoisoning,justshortof37,cutshortwhatwasalreadyabrilliant career[5-3].
