It has an interesting combination of dark and light. Fritz Haber, Perhaps it is one of the rare examples that show the bitter side of truth by leaving a mark on history. You will soon understand why we say that.

“If you look at it, he was a very good person who saved the lives of so many people!” Chances are you’ll say that. But there is something that is overlooked when reading this strange story: in addition to contributing to people’s fight against hunger, development of chemical weapons He also led the way and caused mass graves.

Fritz Haber was born in 1868 as the son of a Jewish family in Germany.

His father was a merchant by profession, but he preferred to major in chemistry. This choice would mark a turning point in Haber’s life. One of the pioneers in chemistry in 1886 Robert Bunsen and Carl Liebermann He started working with.

at Friedrich Wilhelm University He received his doctorate in 1891 and then in 1894 at the University of Karlsruhe He became a professor and concentrated his studies on the synthesis of ammonia.

Born in Germany in a Jewish family This scientist has managed to upset all of humanity with his decisions and practices. The important work he did together with Carl Bosch during his professorship was the only thing that wrote his name in history.

As a result of these studies He succeeded in converting hydrogen and atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium under high heat and pressure. This is where the ropes broke!

During these periods, humanity faced a terrible famine.

There were loud shouts that people would die from lack of nitrogen fertilizer. When he heard this news, Haber wanted to implement this invention that transformed his career. He tried to find something that could feed people and keep them from starving. the leading role nitrogen happened.

In its own state, nitrogen is a gas that does not respond to most chemical reactions. But its importance to our lives is undeniable. Because The proteins in what we eat and even in our bodies are nitrogen compounds. In light of this information, Haber and Bosch began developing something that would not let people starve by producing fertilizer.

Under the name Haber-Bosch, the duo greatly facilitated the production of fertilizer.

In 1909, Haber succeeded in building a device that converted nitrogen from the air into ammonia. Bosch also replaced the osmium or uranium catalysts used in the study with aluminum and magnetite oxides because they were cheap. Thus the discovery became useful in the industrial field. So Nutrients were also available at more affordable prices.

This invention increased the world’s population in the early 20th century. meet nutritional needs It is considered an important development that will bring about a major increase in agricultural productivity.

Haber (1918) and Bosch (1931) received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their achievements.

Charles Bosch

This invention, which is still used today, plays an important role in food production around the world. A significant part of people’s lives depends on the products produced using this method. to fertilizers is designed accordingly.

However, Haber’s career With the outbreak of the First World War, the country reached a dark turning point. While the whole world remembers him for his invention, at the beginning of the war he took initiatives that would earn him the title of ‘Father of Chemical Weapons’. Therefore we say about him that the whole world is divided into two.

German Ministry of War Haber, known for his patriotism despite rumors that he was appointed head of the chemistry department, renounced Judaism and became a Lutheran, leading a team that discovered chlorine gas. This resulted in thousands of people dying during the war.

This gas was used on battlefields as a weapon against people.

During World War I, Haber continued his work in chemical warfare by developing nitrogen-based explosives for the German military. If BASF (the chemical company) had not started producing ammonia at that time, the war would have ended in a few months, or at best GermanyHe could not afford to join the war.

Companies that produce ammoniaThey supplied explosives by producing nitric acid for ammunition. Did you think that was all?

As we explained at the beginning, Haber was a very helpful chemist in feeding people. But during this period, the founder of Kaiser Wilhelm Institute converted part of it into a chemical weapons laboratory.

The Germans first used chlorine gas against the French in 1915. As a result chlorine gas fills your lungs The soldiers were doomed to a terrible death.

Haber never admitted that his actions were evil.

Almost as a result of chemical weapons Nearly 100,000 soldiers diedWhen Germany surrendered, Haber was declared a war criminal. Haber fled to Switzerland as a criminal and would also die there.

came to power in 1933 Hitlerdeveloped a cyanide-based insecticide at the institute. Zyklon B The production of this so-called gas was a disaster for human history. Zyklon B, as we all know, was the gas used to kill millions of Jews in the Nazi camps.

NewsEven though he was a genius who prevented thousands of people from starving, it doesn’t change the fact that he was a criminal who produced the weapons used in the massacres.

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