A Nobel Christmas Nuclear Story
Riccardo Bevilacqua
Radiation Safety Expert, PhD in Applied Nuclear Physics | Bridging Nuclear Science & MedTech at Elekta
The Christmas lights were all around Stockholm in December 1938, filling the city with a festive feeling. Among the visitors was a special guest from Italy (no, it was not me): Enrico Fermi, a brilliant physicist known for his pioneering research with neutrons and neutron reactions (after all, it could have been me). Enrico Fermi's work made possible the creation of isotopes, which you know is one of my favorite topics, as isotopes are such a powerful tools, today, in our quest to fight cancer.
On December 6, 1938, Fermi, his wife Laura, their two children, Nella and Giulio, and a maid (those were times when physicists could afford maids) boarded a train bound for Stockholm. It was a difficult departure. Fermi left behind his laboratory, his equipment, and his colleagues, all of which he had dedicated years to building. Few days later, on December 10, 1938, Enrico Fermi and American novelist Pearl S. Buck sat center stage in the concert hall, receiving their Nobel Prizes from King Gustaf V of Sweden. The ceremony was a grand event, with the King and the scientific community offering their support.
But for Fermi, it was more than just an honor! It was a unique opportunity to save his family!
A carefully orchestrated escape
The Nobel Prize was a carefully orchestrated cover for escaping the strict surveillance of the fascist regime in Italy. Just a few months earlier, on September 18, 1938, Benito Mussolini had stood in Trieste, in Piazza Unità d’Italia, to announce Italy’s racial laws in front of a crowd gathered under a stage set up outside the Palazzo del Municipio. The city of Trieste — my hometown, for the matter — was the backdrop for one of the most shameful and darkest moments in Italy’s recent history. The content of Mussolini’s speech and the racial laws it unveiled marked a turning point, not just for the country but for countless families, including Fermi’s.
Laura, being Jewish, was at great risk under these new laws, which stripped Jewish citizens of their rights, and so were their children. Fermi knew that staying in Italy was no longer an option.
We don’t know for sure, but we imagine some Italian agents might have followed Fermi on the train to Stockholm, ensuring his return. The exact details of his escape remain uncertain, but we do know that the Nobel Prize money likely played a key role in securing their journey.
Celebrating Christmas and safety (a different kind of nuclear safety)
After the ceremony, the Fermi made a brief visit to Niels Bohr in Copenhagen, and from there he and his family travelled to the United Kingdom, where they stayed briefly before leaving Europe for good. On Christmas Eve, 1938, they boarded the liner S.S. Franconia in Southampton, bound for New York. The crossing would take nine days. In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, as waves crashed against the hull, the family celebrated Christmas far from home. It was a bittersweet moment, surrounded by strangers, but united in hope for a safer future.
Niels Bohr played a vital role in saving physicists from the oppression of Nazism during the 1930s. Recognizing the growing threat to Jewish scientists and political dissidents, Bohr collaborated with the Rockefeller Foundation to support refugee academics. He offered temporary positions at his institute in Copenhagen, provided financial aid, and helped secure fellowships and permanent positions at institutions worldwide. Among those he assisted were Lise Meitner, Otto Frisch, Edward Teller, and James Franck.
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Passion for science, and love for his family
The ship finally reached the United States on January 2, 1939, and the Fermi family stepped onto American soil to begin a new chapter of their lives.
It’s amazing to think about how Fermi used his deep knowledge in physics not just for science, but to protect his loved ones. As they prepared to leave Europe for good, I can only imagine the mix of courage and emotion that filled him. Now, every December, as I walk through Stockholm, I think about that moment in 1938, when Fermi’s journey began, driven by his passion for science and love for his family.
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About me
I’m passionate about radiation and radiation safety, and I lead these efforts at a top MedTech company. My experience includes working with the European Commission and international physics laboratories, where I developed my expertise in nuclear physics (without causing any explosions!). With a PhD in applied nuclear physics, I’ve published research in peer-reviewed journals and enjoy crafting content that makes complex topics in science, safety, and security accessible and engaging—because everyone loves a good science story!
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Former Chair of Mineralogy, University of Perugia (retired as of mid-2014)
2 个月Bravo Riccardo ! Although I knew the story, it is always important to rehearse it and think about all it's implications: human, scientific, political, etc. Especially on the recurrence of those very days. Having studied and worked in Chicago, some 100m from the location of Fermi's first atomic pile, a mere 28 years after that experiment, your story brought about a flood of memories. Thanks and all good wishes for this holiday season.
Head of Quality at Machnet Medical Robotics
2 个月Very nice story and in view of the movie Oppenheimer, very intresting that they both met. The error in the article of the museum is copied in this post. The family left 6th of December, 10 days later would be 16th of December not 10th of December. As always a very interesting story to read.
Radiation Protection Adviser / Radioactive Waste Adviser / Director at Ionactive Consulting Limited
2 个月Very interesting ??. Maybe you might do something on Richard Feynman one day ? I find him fascinating and during lockdown went through practically everything available on YouTube about him, including his black and white lectures. I learned he was not perfect (are any of us ), but I really liked his style. From the atomic bomb, to the shuttle booster o rings, he had an interesting life!