Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Memories of an East German scientist

2015; Wiley; Volume: 103; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/bip.22665

1097-0282

H. Fritzsche,

International Science and Diplomacy

The building of the “German Wall” in 1961 cut off East Germany from the western scientific community, especially from valuable contacts with the group of Manfred Eigen in Göttingen. This prompted us to start a series of 12 “Jena Symposia,” which took place until the big turn of events that took place in 1989. We invited several young scientists from Göttingen, among them a US scientist, accompanied by his wife, to our 1962 “Jena Symposium.” This was my first acquaintance with Don and Leena Crothers. Don impressed us with his brilliance and his concise remarks. This led to a subsequent seminar invitation bringing Don to Jena prior to his return to the United States in 1964. In addition, I was successful in arranging for Leena, a concert pianist, to give a recital in Jena. This stay marked the beginning of an enduring friendship between our families. We risked what was then an illegal visit the famous “Alte Meister” gallery in Dresden (Figure 1). Upon our return to Jena, we were detained by authorities, but thankfully released. Leena and Don Crothers (1964) in Dresden (Germany). Our next contact with Don took place in 1970 at a subsequent Jena Symposium. Another participant was Michael Waring, who stayed as a guest in our home. We held a farewell dinner in the Rudelsburg castle, at which Michael and Don suddenly stood up at our table to perform “a very important diplomatic mission.” They challenged the young Russian colleagues at the dinner to a singing contest (Figure 2). This was an unforgettable event for all participants. During this meeting, Don offered me an invitation to his lab. Under the circumstances of the time, this invitation was a dream, but I felt unable to accept. Don was very persistent, and in 1978 a fortuitously sympathetic set of authorities gave me some hope that this dream could be realized. I filed an application to visit the United States for 7 months; this subsequently led to an exit visa from East Germany, leaving my wife Bettina and our three children behind as hostages. Singing contest: Don Crothers and Liuda Minchenkova (Moscow, 1970) at a symposium dinner on the Rudelsburg castle near Jena (Germany). The first weeks were idyllic, but I felt very much like a stranger in the United States—almost nobody I met had ever come into contact with someone from East Germany. The generous hospitality of Leena, Don, and colleagues in the lab (Figure 3) helped me to adapt little by little. And within Don's group, I had a German foothold with Werner Müller. My planned NMR project (drug interactions with small oligonucleotides) was not successful. We switched to another topic, studying the interaction with DNA of a new anthracycline antibiotic that had been isolated in my institute in Jena. Collegial and productive interactions with Nani Dattagupta and Brad Chaires resulted in a joint paper in Biochemistry on intercalation of the drugs iremycin and daunomycin into DNA. Don supported my attendance at the Gordon Conference on Nucleic Acids that summer. There I met many luminaries such as Peter von Hippel, Paul Ts'o, and Neville Kallenbach. These contacts produced further invitations and eventually nice findings, resulting in several collaborative papers. At the end of my stay in the United States, Don arranged a trip to California to meet Ignacio Tinoco (UC of Berkeley) and Bruno Zimm (UC San Diego). The Crothers group (1979). I submitted my new application in 1981 to continue my work in Don's and Paul Ts'o's labs, which was approved by the East German authorities. Again, I worked with primarily with Nani Dattagupta (Figure 4). I even spent a vegetarian week with him in his home. We had good results, but the time was short and further studies in Jena were needed to complete the project. On Thanksgiving Day, I was invited to join the Crothers family—Leena had prepared an impressive turkey (Figure 5). Nani Dattagupta and Don Crothers discussing our results. Leena Crothers prepared a Thanksgiving turkey (1981). Contacts with Don and his team continued; in 1982, Nani Dattagupta attended the “Jena Symposium,” and Don was our guest during the 1984 symposium. We took that opportunity to discuss the first version of our joint paper based on my 1981 visit (Figure 6). The symposium was moved by the authorities from Jena to the neighboring town of Weimar for “security reasons.” Nevertheless, I invited Don, Michael Waring, and Tom Krugh to our home in Jena. I was not aware that this illegal tour caused some concern to my guests, but all proceeded in good order (Figure 7). This was the last time that Don visited Jena. A lecture engagement of Don in Jena planned for 1987 failed due to bureaucratic confusion. Due to the lack of required documents, Leena and Don could only enter East Berlin, where we briefly discussed our last joint paper. Refining our recent paper (Jena, 1984). Don Crothers in our home (Jena, 1984). My wife Bettina did not have an opportunity to meet Leena until 1996, when we visited our newly born grandson in Ames, IA. That US trip began in New Haven, where we stayed as guests in the Crothers’ home—we spent very pleasant several days with them (Figure 8). I gave a seminar in the Yale Chemistry department and visited with several friends from past times in New Haven. This was my last meeting with Don. I had planned to see him in 1999 at R.H. Sarma's 11th Conversation in Albany, but Don was unable to attend that meeting. Don Crothers and Bettina Fritzsche (in Crothers’ home, 1996). Don Crothers was for me the essential person who helped me escape the mediocre science that prevailed in East Germany. The privilege of working with first-rate US research groups placed me in a much more comfortable position after the turn (Wende) in 1989. Don's great personality, his distinguished appearance, and his generosity will remain forever in my heart. Hartmut Fritzsche Institut für Molekularbiologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany