Season 2
From november 8th to november 17th, 2007
under the direction of Anny ROMAND
and the patronship of Pierre-Gilles de GENNES
(Nobel Prize for Physics 1991) to whom this second season is dedicated.
Anatole FRANCE
(France, 1844-1924)
Nobel Prize : 1921
The Gods Are A-Thirst - Calmann-Lévy
ALFRED NOBEL – 1833-1896
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden on October 21, 1833. When he was eight, the family moved to Russia, where his father opened a mechanical engineering workshop. His interest in science, especially chemistry, appeared at an early age; he also acquired extensive literary and philosophical knowledge, due in part to the ease with which he mastered foreign languages. Most of his studies were achieved independently, never having taken any college or university examination.
He returned to Sweden in 1863 and began work as a chemist at his father's workshop at Heleneborg in Stockholm. Applying the Italien chemist, Sobrero's methods, he further developed the explosive nitroglycerine, which he began manufacturing in Sweden in 1864. Plants subsequently opened in Germany and Norway, and then in other European countries and finally in America. In 1867, Nobel obtained a patent on a special type of nitroglycerine, which he called "dynamite". The invention quickly proved its usefulness in building and construction throughout the world. Production went hand-in-hand with research, ambitiously carried out in laboratories Nobel established in Stockholm and Hamburg and later also in Paris, Bofors, and San Remo. The original form of dynamite was gradually replaced by gelatin dynamite, which was safer to handle. In that development, too, Nobel played a major part.
Alfred Nobel wound up with a total of 355 patents, some more imaginative than useful, others both extremely practical and valuable. He continued to experiment in many fields, notably with synthetic materials. Income from many worldwide enterprises made him one of the wealthiest men in Europe.
His scientific and industrial activities allowed him to visit most European and American countries. He lived in Paris for a number of years, but planned to return to Sweden and settle down for good at Karlskoga, where he owned property. On December 10, 1896, before this plans could be realised, he died at his home in San Remo, Italy.
Alfred Nobel was a lonely man and frequently in poor health. He was very modest, often appearing shy. Above all, he was engrossed in scientific ideas and the practical management of his many European enterprises. He devoted himself night and day to his studies and work. His lifelong dream was to be of service to mankind.
In January 1897 it was learned that he had left the bulk of his considerable estate to a fund, the interest on which was to be awarded annually to those whose work had been of the greatest benefit to mankind. The foundation’s statutes which administered the fund - the Nobel Foundation - were adopted on June 29, 1900.