"Bernhard gross: The man and the scientist"

Abstract

When B.Gross arrived in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 19 33 he was a young Ph.D. from Stuttgart full of enthusiasm and creativity. He was about to start the tradition of physical research in Brazil and also provide one of the most important examples of scientific development in Latin America. His work however was not to be confined only to Brazil. Due to his multiple interests and high quality of his researches, Gross extended his contributions to an international level, and there is no better proof of the importance of his work than this International Symposium, ISEV, in good time organized by G. Sessler to honour Gross and continue the series started in Chicago in 1967 with the inspiration of M.Perlman. In 1975 in S. Carlos, Brazil another Symposium was organized to honour Gross on his seventieth anniversary. One decade later in this Symposium to commemorate his 80th anniversary, Gross has published more than 25 papers and his enthusiasm and creativity are an example for many generations of physicists present in ISE V. There are many aspects of the life of B.Gross that are unique as man and scientist. I would like to mention some of these many facets of his personality here, withouth bothering to separate systematically his scientific acomplishements from his life as a human being. Perhaps this is the better way to speak about Gross.