The following biographical memoir shows stages in the magnificent career of a scientist stretching over 60 years. Professor Dr. Neurath was one of the leading biochemists of his time and one of the founding fathers of modern protein science. He chaired the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Washington for 25 years.
He was the author or co-author of 400 publications and founder and editor of two of the most prestigious journals in the field (Biochemistry, Protein Science). Three faculty members from Dr. Neurath’s department went on to be awarded Nobel Prizes in physiology and medicine (Edwin Krebs, Edmond Fischer, and Martin Rodbell), and one dozen of the present and past faculty members of the department have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Neurath being the first in 1961.
Hans Neurath called two countries his home, Austria and the Unites States of America. He grew up at the same time his country did, i.e. Austria during the First Republic, 1919-1933. But then his country had no future for him.
In the following account, as much as possible Hans Neurath’s own words and those of his friends and colleagues have been used to study developments, reflect on issues, and evaluate achievements. Regarding the time preceding his immigration to the United States, the very scant biographical evidence from Hans Neurath’s first twenty-three years makes possible only a conjecture about his time in Vienna.