Origins and Founding of the Institute

Today there are entire disciplines that simply no longer fit within the bounds of the colleges and miiversities, either because they require such extensive machinery and instrumentation that no rmiversily department can afford them, or because they concern problems that are too advanced for students and can only be tackled by jrmior scholars.  

Hamack paid particular attention to the problems of theoretical and organic chemistry. He emphasized the importance of research on the chemical elements and atomic weights, which he lauded as  

That Harnack s memorandum focused so clearly on chemistry was due in no small part to his having sought advice on the project from Emil Fischer and others who had taken part in the activities of the Imperial Institute of Chemistry Association. Harnack wrote in his memorandum, contrary to its later realization, of a single grand chemical research institute to be supported not by the state alone but by a cooperation of the state and wealthy, scientifically-interested, private citizens. To achieve this, an association of donors would be established that stretched across the entire monarchy, and hence possessed the financial resources necessary to realize such grand plans. 

Harnack s memorandum was read to the monarch, word for word, at the beginning of December, and received the liveliest, unrestrained applause of his Majesty.  

The memo also formed the basis of the speech Wilhelm II delivered at the ostentatious centenary festivities of the Berlin University, on 11 October 1910. In the new, grand auditorium of the university the Kaiser announced his plan  

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