The play "Copenhagen"

Cafe Society
1

I just saw it last weekend. Here are a couple initial impressions:

  1. The first act was much better written than the second.

  2. I don’t buy the idea that Heisenberg was such a “noble” guy as the end of the play casts him, although he may have been strongly concerned about the well-being of Bohr and other friends. I doubt he was involved in the warning of Jews in Copenhagen.

  3. I’ve seen a photo of Bohr and Heisenberg + wife in front of the Acropolis taken in the fifties. They seemed to be on good enough terms to get a photo together – was their relationship somewhat restored?

Anyone else see it? I’d like to hear what you think.

2

I saw this a while ago, so my recollection isn’t detailed. I remember it as thought-provoking, however.

I don’t think that Heisenberg was especially noble. In the end, I thought he was (just) a scientist who was caught between seeing a future that involved either a Soviet or Germany-ruled Europe. Forced to make a choice, he opted for the latter and did his part to go toward that goal.

I’m not sure if the relationship between the 2 scientists was repaired or how disrupted it ever was in the first place. The Bohr family released Neils Bohr papers last year, about 40 yeras in advance of their 50 year moritorium on Bohr papers. Heisenberg had given an account of their Copenhagen meeting to a Danish writer, Jungk. The released papers include Bohr’s responses to the book/article, unsent because Bohr apparently didn’t want to hurt Heisenberg. I found it interesting that among the papers were unsent birthday greetings to Heisenberg. The papers may be found at: http://www.nbi.dk/NBA/papers/introduction.htm

An interesting lengthy article on the historical perspective of the play is at: http://www.aip.org/pt/vol-53/iss-7/p28.html

(My fiancee, who I made go see this with me, was so bored that he will never ever trust me to pick another play again. Ever.)