the datascrape
On rediscovering Lewe in my thesis in 2023 I had to buy research time. In 2008 I had googled Dr V Lewe, which was all I had, found nothing, and stopped, but I felt that now if I could just dig deeper, I would find more. I gave up my business, holed up, and started researching as widely and as deeply as I could. The results can be seen on Lewe, 1915 page.
As each piece of information was found (even just confirming his Christian name took a deal of work) it led me to some more. The jewel in the crown though was Lewe’s 1915 Engineering Doctorate dissertation, presented by Lewe the physicist, which, once procured and translated, proved to be the underlying theory that he had hinted at in his 1915 Handbuch article. I googled the title and found a copy for sale in a Berlin Bookstore. Its arrival provided a whole new impetus. Even without translating it, I understood much of the concept of what he was taking about; the diagrams and tables guided me through. Once I had completed the translation, I knew I was holding the true reference source for the PCA coefficients, and that it proved that there was something terribly wrong with our current Science.
My first thought was to contact the ICE library and ask if I could borrow or have copied the two publications I referenced in my thesis; the 1915 2nd Ed. Handbuch article and the 1965 PCA Circular Concrete Water tanks without prestressing.
I recalled during my research at the library that I had located the 3rd Edition of the 1923 handbuch and had briefly compared Lewe’s work there to his earlier article in 1915. I noted that the charts and equations were very similar, if not identical, and that overall the text looked similar (bearing in mind it was all German, which I could not understand). I had become very sceptical of reference sources during my thesis research and so I always tried to directly refer to the earliest texts (the library was well furnished; most editions of a book’s run were available). The 1915 Handbuch article had an introductory passage which was markedly longer and different than the later edition, so it was this document that I hand-copied into google for translation. I only had a couple of facts about Lewe’s life from there, but I included them in my thesis so I considered it would be good to complete a full translation of all the text, to see if there was anything else of interest. There were two editions of the PCA document in the library, 1965 and 1993, a green one and blue one, if I recall, so I referred to the earlier 1965 version.
When I requested the two documents, the librarian was very helpful, but she could find neither of them on the shelf or in the catalogue. I confess, this seemed very suspicious, so I asked to double check. In my thesis I copied the reference to Lewe 1915 directly from the ICE library catalogue. I recall wondering whether I should reference it correctly to Harvard standard, but remembering that it might be myself requesting this document in the future (bearing in mind I was crusading for what I thought was an antisemitic erasure), I left it as written:
{Lewe, V (1915), ‘Einfache formula under kurverntafeln Zurich berechung zylindrisher
behalterwande mit verchiedenem wandschitt’, Beton und Eisen Heft IV u.V
not
V. Lewe, (1915), ‘Eeinfache formula under kurvrntafeln Zurich berechung
zylindrisher behslterwande mit verchiedenem wandschitt’, in Emberger.F /V.Lewe (et
al),(Handbuch für Eisenbetonbau, (2. Neubearb Auflage in 12 Banden und 2 Erg.-Bd.)
Berlin, Beton und Eisen, Ernst and Sohn, Heft IV u.V
Translation:
V. Lewe (1915) ‘Simple formulas and charts for calculation of cylindrical tank walls with
square, triangular or trapezoidal sections’ in Emberger F/V. Lewe (et al) Manual of
Reinforced Concrete 2nd re-edit, Edition in 12 volumes and 2 supplementary volumes,
Berlin, Beton und Eisen, Ernst and Sohn, Volume IV, section 5}
So sometime between 2015 and 2023 a change had been made to the ICE library catalogue, and the 2nd edition Volume IV of the handbuch, and the 1965 PCA document, had been removed from the shelves (I cannot recall if the catalogue included the 1965 edition, or whether I had just found it alongside the 1993). I was suspicious about the reasons, bearing in mind I knew that Lewe proves science is lying, but there was nothing I could do to change the new facts. The librarian said there were some various editions of handbuch volumes but they were disorganised; she would sort this out and let me know if anything turned up about Lewe (it hasn’t). The missing 1965 PCA document however was a mystery she could not help with.
In my research, a strange turn of errors then led me to an excellent reward. In my thesis I had said Lewe was The Chief Inspector of Civic Buildings in Bomberg. When I googled Bomberg, no such place existed, but I did find a Bamberg, University Town, American Military base, this sounded possible, so I wrote to the university, asking about Dr Lewe. They kindly replied
| Staatsbibliothek Bamberg Info |  Mon, 5 Jun 2023, 15:16 | | |
| to me | |||
Dear Mr. Beng,
unfortunately we don’t have any further Information to V. Lewe.
But our research revealed that Dipl. Ing. Dr. Lewe was not in Bamberg but in Bromberg (today Poland).
The book you are referring to is an issue of the journal “Beton und Eisen”. Unfortunately we don’t have this issue.
Please contact a library near you, maybe they can help you to get the asked issue.
In the internet you can find the digitized “Handbuch für Eisen”. One of the authors is V. Lewe. Here is also a short notice about him. (Please see the attached detail.)
http://delibra.bg.polsl.pl/Content/30459/BCPS_34256_1923_Handbuch-fur-Eisenbe.pdf
Kind regards from Bamberg
Iris Urbanik
Staatsbibliothek Bamberg
The ‘short notice’ attachment turned out to be an excellent PDF of the complete 1923 3rd Edition Volume IV, complete with Lewe’s article. Using Google lens, I was able to cut and paste chunks of text and could begin the work of translating the full article. Laborious, but I could at least begin some serious engineering research. I also found his title as Privatdozent (Private Lecturer) means the entry in the handbuch is after his 1920 habilation. (If I had a copy of the 1915 2nd Edition I could check, noting this title should not be used).
Also the correction of my typo to Bromberg gave me a new lead to the Polish town of Bydgoszcz (*all records destroyed in war, but still useful to have locations confirmed). Bamberg had had an easy ride in WW2, poor Bromberg, where Lewe had been employed, far less so.
{*Wikipedia Extract: On September 5.. the German occupation of the city began. The German Einsatzgruppe IV, Einsatzkommando 16 and SS-Totenkopf-Standarte “Brandenburg” entered the city to commit atrocities against the Polish population….[36] Many of the murders were carried out as part of the Intelligenzaktion, aimed at exterminating the Polish elites and preventing the establishment of a Polish resistance movement,[37] which emerged regardless. On September 24, the local German Kreisleiter called local Polish city officials to a supposed formal meeting in the city hall, from where they were taken to a nearby forest and exterminated.[38] (and) also ordered the execution of their family members to “avoid creating martyrs”.[38]… The Germans carried out further mass arrests of over 7,200 people.[40] Many of those people were then murdered.[41] Poles from Bydgoszcz were massacred…at the Valley of Death and in the nearby village of Tryszczyn.[41] The victims were both men and women, including activists, school principals, teachers, priests, local officials, merchants, lawyers, and also boy and girl scouts, gymnasium students and children as young as 12.[42] On November 17, 1939, the commander of the local SD–EK unit declared there was no more Polish intelligentsia capable of resistance in the city.[43]}
From the state cultural archives I received a kind and actually very helpful reply. She did show me something very useful though; Dr Lewe’s other doctorate was in Natural Sciences, meaning he was trained as a Physicist. I could also see that ‘records destroyed in the war‘ was likely to be a recurrent theme.
| Brandt-Salloum, Christiane | 24 Aug 2023, 16:38 | | |
| to me | |||
Automatically translate German
Dear Mr Reynolds,
In the “Handbook on the Prussian State”, which lists Prussian state authorities and their staff by name, but only with surnames, only one Dr. sc.nat Dr.-Ing. Lewe will be identified as a private lecturer at the Technical University of Berlin, Faculty II (Civil Engineering), Dept. B (Civil Engineering). I cannot determine whether this person is the same as the co-author of the anthology on reinforced concrete construction.
The documents here in the records of the Ministry of Culture (inventory: GStA PK, I. HA Rep. 76, can be researched online at: https://archivdatenab.gsta.spk-berlin.de/midosasearch-gsta/MidosaSEARCH/i_ha_rep_76/index.htm , The files available on the “Teachers of Dept. II of the Technical University of Berlin” ( I. HA Rep. 76, Vb Sect. 4 Tit. III No. ) cover the period 1879 to 1925 with volumes 1-9 and are indexed by name . However, I was unable to find any personnel records involving Lewe here. More recent files from 1925 onwards were probably lost due to the war. The Reich Department of the Federal Archives, which is responsible for central cultural and scientific records from 1934 onwards, may be able to provide you with further information on this. I would also recommend sending an enquiry the archive of the Technical University of Berlin ( https://www.tu.berlin/ub/ueber-uns/sonderabteilungen-und-sammlungen/universitaetsarchiv ), which, however, suffered heavy losses in the war.
Private lecturer Dr. Lewe is mentioned several times in the various editions of the “Zentralblatt der Bauverwaltung”, which can be researched online at the Central and State Library ( https://digital.zlb.de/viewer/toc/14688302/1/ ), as well as the one with “Magazine for Construction” ( https://digital.zlb.de/viewer/toc/15239363/1/ ), which was combined with this magazine in 1931. The Berlin address books are also stored in this library and are accessible digitally ( https://digital.zlb.de/viewer/berliner-adressbuecher/ ). However, the entry for “Lewe” in the Berlin address book of 1924 is not very productive, as you can see from the attached screenshot:
I still recommend making an inquiry to the Berlin State Archives. Maybe Dr. Lewe appears in Berlin’s municipal traditions.
I was able to find a “testing center for constructive buildings in the Eastern Provinces in Bromberg” in the local archives, as well as in the “Handbook on the Prussian State”.
Best regards
On behalf
Christiane Brandt Salloum
So my suspicion that Lewe had a Science background was proven. His first doctorate was in Physics, hence Dr sc. nat. The 3rd ed. handbuch certainly never includes reference to Dr sc.nat which Lewe was awarded in 1916 (indeed the Dr.phil W. Lewe mentioned by Emberger the Editor seems almost like a complete misdirection, or a different person). Despite the various academic and professional titles, I was confident that Dr. Lewe was one person, and not two or more engineers sharing the same name.
In 1923 Lewe is variously described as:
- Dr. Ing. Dr. LEWE correct in 1923 (noting that his Engineering Doctorate is the senior academic position) but initial not used in this configuration
- Title Page; Chapter 1, Section C; and also index for 13th Volume
- Zivilingenier und Privatdozent au der
Technischen Hochschule in Berlin = Dr. Ing Dr. Lewe , civil
engineer and private lecturer at the technical university in
Berlin
- Dipl.-Ing. Dr V. Lewe. This is closest to his title used for his Engineering Doctorate and would be correct in 1915, not in 1923.
- In Reorganisation section, adds detail below and then 2nd mention in reorganisation section 13th Volume.
- Leiter der fur die Ostprovinzen e ingerichtetenstadtisch en
Prufungsstelle konstruktiv bedeutender Bauten in Bromberg.
= Head of the Municipal Examination Board of the Eastern Province of Posen for constructively significant buildings in Bromberg (now Bydgoszcz)
- Dr Ing. Dr. phil. W. Lewe Incorrect doctorate and initial
- From Foreword by Emberger, Editor. The only one that include phil., indicating a humanities degree. It has been assumed that the ‘W’ and the Dr.phil titles are incorrect; this initial and title are only used in the foreword by the Editor in Chief but refers directly to the sections on liquid containers, which are attributed elsewhere to V. Lewe, who is not a humanities doctor. The use of the humanities title here seems a very odd mistake for the editor to make, bearing in mind Lewe is also shown as editor.
- Dr Ing Dr. W. Lewe The ‘W’ is definitely incorrect. It is used in the table of contents for section C, but this is ascribed to Dipl.ing Dr. Lewe (no initial),but states a professor in Berlin, which has been established relates to Viktor Lewe
- from table of contents chapter 1.
A thank you is always nice to give;
| martin reynolds | Fri, 25 Aug 2023, 16:02 | | |
| to Christiane | |||
Christiane
Thanks so much for the response, you have been incredibly helpful.
Interesting that his doctorate is shown as Dr.sc.nat (natural sciences), but in handbuch it shows Dr.phil. (humanities), nonetheless, I am certain this must be the right man as the surname is quite unusual and all other elements are right.
Thanks again
Further research using the physics connection turned up the link to Alexander von Brill on wikidata, an amazing experience to find his name listed there, and to find his university record card. So Viktor (or perhaps Victor) is his first name, and he completed his Physics Doctorate in 1906. From the wikidata site I found a link (note I updated his name on this site, it was originally just Viktor) to both his 1906 dissertation as Dr sc. nat, and to another doctorate. In 1915, he is styled as Dr. Ing, so now his academic title is confirmed as Dr Ing Dr sc.nat Viktor Lewe, and I have a clue about the underlying theory he mentions in 1915 handbuch; a theory that he wrote himself.
A Nazi piece of work?
My work in quantum had already led me to appraise the work of German Science with deepest distrust, Max Planck and Werner Heisenberg particularly, and I had read about the history of the destruction of Physics by the Nazis. I had discovered something of SS Dr Viktor Lewe‘s story too by this time, although not yet confirmation of the family link, but there was enough circumstantial evidence in my mind to link Lewe’s work to the corrosive and murderous power of the Nazis.
Next, I wrote to the publisher of the Handbuch, Ernst & Sohn, and I was given a brilliant lead; an author, Karl-Eugen Kurrer. Finally I had found someone who knew who Lewe was and had written about him. He sent me an email which had great information (lower below) and to which I (perhaps over-)excitedly replied (noting that I was wrong about Lewe ‘slipping into the shadows in 1937’ as I later learned he died in 1936):
| martin reynolds | 7 Sept 2023, 15:21 | | |
| to karl-eugen.kurrer, Claudia, | |||
Karl
How wonderful to hear from someone who has not just heard of Viktor Lewe, but knows things about him that I did not. Incredible for me and thanks so much for your clear response. I have added comments below to your replies based on what I know, or what I conjecture based on seeing a bigger picture emerging.
I must now come completely clean with you about my deepest suspicions about who Lewe really is. I have to say, like you, that when I discovered in 2008 that Lewe had been erased from history, I too believed it to be because of Jewish roots. I now think the opposite, and that Lewe is, if not The Architect of the nazi experiment, then he is at least a key player in the high echelons. The real power of the nazis lies in the shadows, not in the clowns it showed us in the circus. So, I’m suggesting that Lewe simply slips behind the scenes in 1937, just as much of Europe is about to be destroyed, and the world changed forever. As evidence, I offer a piece of information I removed from my research yesterday, but if you look at attached you will see this information: Birth of (to be ss-obersturmfuhrer) Dr. Viktor Lewe, Loningen 19.4.12 date of death 26.11.65– My note – possibly relation (Same name and same district of birth) ((6) references are in attachment) Longingen is too small, and Lewe too unusual a name, for the birth in 1912 not to be connected with Dr.Sc.nat V. Lewe (as he would have been at the time, aged 31). The relationship between the two needs to be confirmed, and I have not yet been able to establish this, but have searches in hand. If son or nephew then I believe this strengthens the likelihood of the nazi link – the younger man groomed to become his worst self, the archetype of narcissistic behaviour, noting I found this piece of testimony below about him. The apple does not fall far from the tree.
I recognise that the nazi period is painful, and I think that applies to us here in Great Britain too, as complicit, but I find the best way to discuss it is to remain objective, and as disinterested as possible. With that said, have a look at my comments and let’s see if we can shine some light on dark places. I can of course prove nothing of Lewe’s link to the nazis, but the circumstantial evidence is compelling. My comments in bold
On Wed, 6 Sept 2023 at 17:21, karl-eugen.kurrer wrote:
Dear Martin,
You are working on an innovative civil engineer about whom little is known. In my book “The History of the Theory of Structures. Searching for Equilibrium”, 2018 (see below), Viktor Lewe appears in connection with the theory of reinforced concrete slabs (1920 and 1926), the theory of reinforced concrete tanks (1923)(1) and the application of the matrix calculus (2) to continuous beams and continuous framed structures (1916) on pages 697, 713, 716f. and 725: Lewe made significant progress in all three of these areas. (3)
MR RESPONSE It is Lewe’s contribution to the 1915 Handbuch for Eisenbetenbau Edition2, Vol IV, that is the key document and it is interesting that you don’t mention it, presumably because you aren’t aware of its existence?. V. Lewe, (1915), ‘Eeinfache formula under kurvrntafeln Zurich berechung zylindrisher behslterwande mit verchiedenem wandschitt’, in Emberger.F /V.Lewe (et al),(Handbuch für Eisenbetonbau, (2. Neubearb Auflage in 12 Banden und 2 Erg.-Bd.) Berlin, Beton und Eisen, Ernst and Sohn, Heft IV u.V
I am unable to locate a copy yet, but in 2008 I used a hard copy from ICE library shelves to write my thesis on circular concrete water tanks. I do have a copy of the 1923 work, which I have translated some sections, and I can tell that it is reduced from 1915 because in that work he gives personal information, for example his time as assistant to Hans Reissner I got from there. I think also that some key pieces of information regarding the theory may also have been removed, or reduced. The fact is that elastic membrane theory is atomic bomb theory. If you were planning to build one yourself, but had let slip something important because you hadn’t known it at the time, the best way would be to destroy all copies and to break all links to it. Always the earliest reference I have seen is to the 1923 work (Salter, 1940 is the last time I found his name mentioned). In terms of destruction of records, poor Bromberg (where Lewe was employed) seems to have been singled out almost as the first act of invasion, rising to my conjecture that the removal of links to Lewe was the point of the exercise, the rest of the atrocities just cover.
Matrix calculus is a derivation of the graphical analysis that Lewe pioneered. It is a method of simplifying theoretical physics for practical use. The graphical approach allows infinite analysis, the matrix of coefficients is just a table of numbers. For engineering, that’s exactly what is needed, but it is important to understand that the simplification is there. See also Heisenberg’s work on solving turbulence problems using the same approach. Heisenberg and Lewe would make an ideal team to build an atomic bomb, which we know H was trying to do. Taking the coefficient table to infinity can be achieved, if you allow for the graphical analysis that lies behind it. Quantum Mechanics becomes visible this way, as cause and effect, not Copenhagen interpretation. See also the work of Johannes Stein (also, like Lewe, under Alexander Brill, graduating in 1914). Stein’s thesis
Beiträge zur Matrizenrechnung mit Anwendung auf die Relativitätstheorie Beiträge zur Matrizenrechnung mit Anwendung auf die Relativitätstheorie (2a) speaks directly from matrices to relativity, just before Einstein’s famous paper on E=mc^2. Is this another disappeared person? Do you know anything about Stein?
I guessed that Lewe’s work was influential, but it is good to see you describe him like this – significant progress should be celebrated. Normally you would expect attributions and accolades but it looks like in 1923 that the links are being reduced – nowhere in that publication does Lewe use his correct title, and it could be read as if all the Lewes are different people, if you didn’t already know who he was.
Little is known to me about Viktor Lewe’s curriculum vitae (not even the year of his death):
Lewe was born in 1881 (Nov. 22) in the town of Löningen (in what is now the state of Lower Saxony/FRG); presumably he came from a Jewish family. (MR I think Lewe is middle German, as language, ancestry. I believe it means ‘will live’)School and study:
1902 Matriculation examination (= “Reifezeugnis”, “Abitur”) at the “Gymnasium” in Vechta
1902: 1 semester at Münster University
1902/03: 1 semester University of Berlin
1903-1904: 3 semesters University of Munich
1905: 2 semesters at Leipzig University – MR Note (Later Sir) Henry Cort Carpenter also spent time in Leipzig as a student. I do not know dates, but it is possible that Carpenter and Lewe knew each other. Carpenter’s work on circular tanks mirrors Lewe’s and it is to Carpenter that British practice is referenced. The title of his contribution in 1929 exactly matches Lewe’s ‘The calculation of circular tanks with rectangular, triangular or trapezoidal sections’ In 1927 Carpenter references Dr Lewes, but in 1929, there is no mention of him. Carpenter says ‘Reissner’s theory’. So Carpenter has deliberately excluded Lewe’s name. (Note Sir Henry, the metallurgy expert among other skills, died in 1940 in unusual circumstances that, to my suspicious mind, looks suspect, and possibly connected to Lewe?)
1905/06: 1 semester Technical University Munich
31 May 1906 Doctorate at the University of Tübingen
He received his doctorate from the University of Tübingen in 1906 with a topic from the theoretical mechanics (which, incidentally, has little to do with his later research). (MR – I think it exactly ties into his most important work, he just keeps that unpublished and publishes only on interesting, but not earth-shattering, topics)Afterwards Lewe must have turned to the rapidly expanding field of reinforced concrete construction. (MR – there is a long story here about why. It will keep perhaps for another time, but if you are interested, it is the corruption of quantum energy that is revealed in 1915 to do with steel tempering and energy vectors)
Lewe then lived in Charlottenburg (which became part of Berlin in 1920) as a consulting civil engineer.
In 1915, he was awarded a doctorate (his second doctorate) in engineering (= Doktor-Ingenieur – Dr.-Ing.) from the Technische Hochschule Dresden with the above-mentioned dissertation on continuous beams; first examiner was Prof. Willy Gehler (1876-1953) and second examiner Max Foerster (1867-1930).
In 1920, he habilitated (with the help of Hans Reissner (1874-1967) ?) (MR – interesting that this association continues. Reissner goes to Brooklyn before the war, which is close to the base of the Portland Cement Association – the publishers of the coefficient tables with no reference. Conjecture again, could Reissner be the link? Lewe does the work, passes to Reissner, who passes to PCA. Publication of these flawless coefficients breaks the link finally to Lewe)at the Technische Hochschule Berlin (Department: Civil Engineering) with a thesis on reinforced concrete slabs as a lecturer (“Privat-Dozent”) in the field of strength theory: 1920 – 1927 lecturer and then associate prof. for strength theory at the TH Berlin until 1937. After that, Lewes’ traces are lost.
MR – So, Lewe has an affluent and influential social position and can quietly contribute works on aeroplane design. This would give him ample scope to work with whomever he wished without making himself visible. I note that other papers on aeroplane designs are linked to Gottingen flying club, and it is in Gottingen in 1927, that all the great minds of the atomic bomb are assembled. Lewe too, perhaps?)
I suspect that the Nazis “removed” Lewe (like Hans doctorate Reissner, by the way (MR – Reissner has public information on wikipedia that he went to Brooklyn University, was he driven out? Any detail here would be fascinating) from the Technische Hochschule Berlin because of his Jewish origins (MR – ’37 is almost too late. If it was Jewish origins he would be gone before then I think). Perhaps Lewe was able to emigrate in time before the Nazis started their Holocaust murder machinery – let’s hope he was able to save himself: We do not know. (MR – I hope we are about to find out, noting Dr V Lewe the younger was very much a part of this machinery)
Enclosed is an essay by Lewe (1918) translated into English in 1923. (airplane strut design) MR – Thank you – I have this one already, pdf from Stanford University files. I think this could be Lewe’s hand, conjecture only. I also have similar from 1920 that has been translated by Americans (from the expressions used within). The 1923 translation is more literal to the German, and just looks to my simple eye as a little, um, cumbersome at times, like it is done by a native German not an American. Also they spell his name right with a ‘k’ (but no titles of course), just plain old Viktor Lewe.
Good luck for your further research
about Viktor LeweKarl-Eugen
PS: It would be nice if we could stay in touch. Mr – I hope so too, I think some valuable truths may become clear to us all.
Books:
Kurrer, K.-E.: The History of the Theory of Structures. Searching for Equilibrium. Berlin: Ernst & Sohn 2018.
XXX, 1212 p., 1002 Illustrations, Hardcover, ISBN 978-3-433-03229-9.
https://www.ernst-und-sohn.de/the-history-of-the-theory-of-structuresHettler, A., Kurrer, K.-E.: Earth Pressure. Berlin: Ernst & Sohn 2020.
XIII, 394 p., 244 Illustrations, 19 Tab., Hardcover, ISBN 978-3-433-03223-7.
https://www.ernst-und-sohn.de/earth-pressurehäftsführerinnen: Franka Stürmer, Sabine Haag.
Unfortunately Karl-Eugen was not able to help me further (I was concerned that it was because I mentioned the nazi connection, which may have made him label me as conspiracy theorist) but the information was golden. I had a date of birth 22.11.81.
The three areas of civil engineer listed by Kurrer are all inked by the same underlying theory and Lewe’s 1906 Physics Doctorate dissertation (15) is exactly aligned with them too, and this is confirmed in his later 1915 dissertation; rigid bodies, infinitesimal displacement and euler’s axis theorem
Using the links in Wikidata, I searched online for the title of Lewe’s and Stein’s dissertations and purchased original copies of both. When Lewe’s arrived, I knew I had something really important. Lewe the Physicist presents the underlying theory to engineering, the only time he uses it publicly. See Chapter 4
My next cache of information came from the Loningen records Office. I applied for Viktor Lewe’s birth certificate, and also Clemens Alexander Viktor (SS Dr) which was supplied, with a helpful translation.
So now I had full title of Prof. Dr. Ing Dr. sc.nat Bernhard Willhelm Viktor Lewe, and because the death certificate number is linked to it, I had a year of death too; 1936. I later applied for this certificate from Berlin and was able to add the date 26.10.1936 (which I did supply to Karl-Eugen Kurrer, noting in his email that he was not aware of it). {I thought it informative that Lewe’s death was unknown by an author who had carried out research when all that was needed was to request a copy of his birth certificate. To me, it meant that no-one had ever asked, certainly not published anyway}
I discovered that Lewe was Catholic, not Jewish, so my initial thoughts about antisemitism (and also, incidentally, those of Karl-Eugen) were proven wrong. I had for some time suspected that Lewe’s work was part of the purpose of the holocaust; the science behind the destruction, but it was useful to have a Catholic heritage confirmed. The records office in Loningen supplied me with all the family information which is included on Lewe’s page. The final piece of the family puzzle was when SS Dr Viktor Lewe was confirmed as the son of Joseph Lewe, Viktor’s eldest brother, making the SS Dr his nephew. The nazi link I suspected was proven true.
In terms of deepening the mystery about why Lewe’s name was dropped, I came across this new piece of information in the old text books when I revisited them via the ICE library. In 1929, just two years after his first CPA article(16) where he referenced Lewes, H Carpenter presents an updated revision(17) but this time he mentions only Reissner.
Now Reissner(21) is always referenced by textbooks as a primary source, but my thesis proved that Lewe is more than an extension of Reissner. Carpenter has already acknowledged Lewe (albeit cryptically as Dr. Lewes), and yet he chooses not to credit him this time, just two years later. My suspicions were aroused that he was following an instruction, rather than his own motivation. I did some research on H Carpenter and concluded that this must be Sir Henry Cort Harold Carpenter (1875-1940), a British metallurgist and steel specialist (hence the interest in concrete reinforcement), but it is also possible that he had an understanding through chemistry, regarding the same ideas about the nuclear force of water molecules. He studied chemistry at Oxford, graduating in 1896, and then went to study organic chemistry in Leipzig, gaining a Ph.D there. His time spent in Germany is interesting, would he have known of Lewe through personal connections, noting that Lewe also attended Leipzig for two semesters in 1905/6 as part of his Physics degree? Carpenter was knighted in the 1929 birthday honours and died in unusual circumstances; found dead from drowning in a stream after suffering a heart attack while out walking alone in the Clyne valley, Swansea.
Here endeth the data scrape. Apart from a teaser mention in an essay (23) I found where it stated;
So the German structural engineers established their “Pilzdeckenproblem” (mushroom
ceiling problem), and began to propose calculation methods in the following years. Among
these was work by Henri Marcus, chief engineer at the HUTA cement building company in
Breslau, and Victor Lewe from Berlin. Their methods provided a basis for the most
important changes in the 1925 reform of reinforced concrete regulations, concerning
design calculations for flat slab and mushroom ceilings.
[In the essay references, Lewe does not appear, but this work, published in the handbuch (when this was a collection of monthly magazine issues rather than a formal manual) does: Mayer, Max, 1912. “Die trägerlose Eisenbetondecke” (The beamless reinforced concrete slab),
Deutsche Bauzeitung, Mitteilungen über Zement, Beton- und Eisenbetonbau, vol 46 (1912), no. 21,
pp. 162-6; no. 22, pp. 174-5.
Lewe’s dissertation does not reference Mayer, but in his 1915 handbuch article, he does mention him so Mayer’s work is about practical application, not theory.]
So I had clearly linked together Alexander Brill, Max Planck, the unknown genius Johannes Stein, Viktor Lewe, Einstein, Heisenberg, Sir Henry Cort Carpenter, the Nazis (and psychological control of society), Atomic Weapons, Hans Reissner, and the Portland Cement Society. What is the story though?
You are doing a new page perhaps for specualtion. starting here with the pilzdeken
ace-consultancy.uk 