Hermann Klare: Polymer Chemist and Science Statesman
Hermann Klare was a pivotal figure in 20th-century polymer chemistry, specifically within the German Democratic Republic (GDR). His career spanned the transition from the early industrial synthesis of plastics to the sophisticated management of national scientific infrastructures. As a chemist, he was a master of synthetic fibers; as a statesman of science, he navigated the complex intersection of academic research and socialist industrial policy.
1. Biography: From Hameln to the Academy
Hermann Klare was born on May 12, 1909, in Hameln, Germany. He pursued his higher education in chemistry at the University of Heidelberg and the University of Kiel. He completed his doctorate in 1933 under the supervision of Otto Diels—a Nobel laureate famous for the Diels-Alder reaction—focusing on organic chemistry.
In 1933, Klare joined the IG Farbenindustrie AG, specifically the Wolfen film and fiber plant (Agfa). It was here that he entered the burgeoning field of synthetic fibers. During World War II, he worked on the development of high-strength fibers for industrial and military use.
The post-war period brought a dramatic shift. In 1946, as part of Operation Ossavakim, Klare was among the thousands of German specialists forcibly relocated to the Soviet Union to assist in the reconstruction of Soviet industry. He spent six years in the USSR, working primarily in Klin, near Moscow, developing polyamide fiber production.
Upon his return to Germany (specifically the GDR) in 1952, Klare’s trajectory shifted toward leadership. He became the Director of the Institute for Fiber Research in Teltow-Seehof in 1953. His career culminated in his tenure as the President of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR from 1968 to 1979, a period during which he wielded significant influence over the country's scientific direction. He passed away in Berlin on May 22, 2003, at the age of 94.
2. Major Contributions: The Architect of Synthetic Fibers
Klare’s primary scientific contribution lies in the chemistry and technology of polycaprolactam, known commercially in East Germany as Dederon (the GDR equivalent of Nylon 6 or Perlon).
Polycaprolactam Synthesis
Klare refined the polymerization processes required to turn caprolactam into stable, high-quality fibers. His work was essential in moving synthetic fibers from laboratory curiosities to mass-produced textiles.
Melt Spinning Technology
He made significant advancements in the "melt spinning" process, where polymers are melted and forced through spinnerets to create filaments. His research optimized the cooling and drawing stages, which determine the fiber's ultimate strength and elasticity.
Structure-Property Relationships
Klare was a pioneer in investigating how the molecular arrangement of polymer chains affected the physical properties of the resulting textile. This was foundational for the "tailoring" of plastics for specific industrial uses.
3. Notable Publications
Klare was a prolific writer, producing works that became standard texts for textile chemists in both the East and the West.
- Die synthetischen Fasern aus Polyamiden (Synthetic Polyamide Fibers, 1954): This is considered his magnum opus. It provided a comprehensive overview of the chemistry, technology, and application of nylon-type fibers.
- Synthetische Fasern: Chemie und Technologie (Synthetic Fibers: Chemistry and Technology, 1963): An expanded and updated reference work that served as a primary textbook for generations of polymer scientists.
- Geschichte der Chemiefaserforschung (History of Chemical Fiber Research, 1985): In his later years, Klare turned to the history of science, documenting the evolution of his field and the contributions of German chemistry to the global fiber industry.
4. Awards & Recognition
Klare’s influence earned him the highest honors available within the Eastern Bloc and international scientific circles:
- National Prize of the GDR (1951, 1959): Awarded for his contributions to the chemical industry and fiber research.
- Order of Karl Marx: The highest civilian honor in the GDR.
- Helmholtz Medal (1979): Awarded by the Academy of Sciences for outstanding achievement in the humanities or natural sciences.
- Honorary Doctorates: He received honorary degrees from several prestigious institutions, including the TU Dresden and the Technical University of Lodz.
- Member of the Leopoldina: He was elected to the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the world’s oldest continuously existing merit-based academy.
5. Impact & Legacy
Hermann Klare’s legacy is twofold: industrial and institutional.
Industrial Impact: He was the scientific engine behind the GDR’s "Chemization" program—a state policy intended to replace expensive imported natural materials (like cotton and wool) with domestically produced synthetics. Dederon became a cultural icon in East Germany, used in everything from stockings to shopping bags, largely due to Klare’s technical groundwork.
Institutional Impact: As President of the Academy of Sciences, Klare successfully protected the interests of basic research during a time when the state pressured scientists to focus solely on immediate industrial applications. He helped maintain a high standard of chemical education in Germany that persisted through the reunification process.
6. Collaborations
- Paul Schlack: Klare worked closely with the legacy of Paul Schlack (the inventor of Perlon). While Schlack discovered the chemistry, Klare was instrumental in the industrial scaling and theoretical refinement of that chemistry.
- The "Wolfen Group": At the Teltow-Seehof Institute, Klare mentored a generation of chemists who would go on to lead the massive chemical combines (Kombinate) of the GDR, such as Leuna and Buna.
- Soviet Scientists: During his "specialist" years in the USSR, Klare collaborated with Soviet chemists to establish the first major polyamide production lines in the Soviet Union, a collaboration that fostered long-term scientific exchange between the two nations.
7. Lesser-Known Facts
- The Name "Dederon": While Klare didn't coin the name himself, the fiber he perfected was named "Dederon" as a patriotic acronym for Deutsche Demokratische Republik + on (a common suffix for synthetic fibers). It was the GDR's answer to the West's "Nylon."
- A Bridge Between Eras: Klare is one of the few scientists who held high-ranking positions under three distinct German political systems: the Third Reich (as a senior industrial chemist), the GDR (as Academy President), and Reunified Germany (as a respected Professor Emeritus and historian).
- The "Stalin's Chemist" Paradox: Despite being essentially a prisoner of the Soviet state from 1946 to 1952, Klare remained a committed proponent of socialist science management, believing that state-directed research was the most efficient way to solve large-scale societal problems.