Copenhagen
Copenhagen by Michael Frayn, published by Methuen Drama on August 4, 2009, is a thought-provoking exploration of a pivotal moment in the history of physics. This edition spans 116 pages and is presented in English. The narrative centers around a 1941 meeting between German physicist Werner Heisenberg and his Danish counterpart Niels Bohr, who were once close colleagues but now find themselves on opposing sides during a world war. The play delves into the complexities of their relationship and the moral implications of their scientific pursuits amid the backdrop of conflict.
Readers will find a rich examination of the themes surrounding friendship, loyalty, and the ethical dilemmas faced by scientists during turbulent times. As Heisenberg and Bohr, along with Bohr’s wife Margrethe, engage in a dialogue that seeks to uncover the motivations behind Heisenberg’s visit, the play raises profound questions about knowledge and intention. The interplay of historical context and personal dynamics invites reflection on the nature of scientific discovery and its consequences, making this work a significant contribution to discussions of both physics and morality.
Official synopsis Publisher
In 1941 the German physicist Werner Heisenberg made a strange trip to Copenhagen to see his Danish counterpart, Niels Bohr. They were old friends and close colleagues, and they had revolutionised atomic physics in the 1920s with their work together on quantum mechanics and the uncertainty principle. But now the world had changed, and the two men were on opposite sides in a world war. The meeting was fraught with danger and embarrassment, and ended in disaster.
Why the German physicist Heisenberg went to Copenhagen in 1942 and what he wanted to say to the Danish physicist Bohr are questions which have exercised historians of nuclear physics ever since. In Michael Frayn’s new play Heisenberg meets Bohr and his wife Margrethe once again to look for the answers, and to work out, just as they had once worked out the internal functioning of the atom, how we can ever know why we do what we do.
‘Michael Frayn’s tremendous new play is a piece of history, an intellectual thriller, a psychological investigation and a moral tribunal in full session.’ Sunday Times
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