Kurt Diebner
Kurt Diebner (13 May 1905 – 13 July 1964) was a German nuclear physicist who is well known for directing and administering parts of the German nuclear weapons program, a secretive program aiming to build nuclear weapons for Nazi Germany during World War II. He was appointed the project's administrative director after Adolf Hitler authorized it.
Kurt Diebner | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 May 1905 |
| Died | 13 June 1964 (aged 59) Oberhausen, West Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Citizenship | Germany |
| Alma mater | University of Halle-Wittenberg University of Innsbruck |
| Known for | German nuclear program |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Nuclear Physics |
| Institutions | Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Reichswehrministerium Reichskriegsministerium Army Ordnance Office University of Göttingen Max-Planck Gesellschaft |
| Doctoral advisor | Gerhard Hoffmann |
Diebner was also the director of the Nuclear Research Council and a Reich Planning Officer for the German Army until its surrender to Allied Powers in 1945. After the war, he was incarcerated in the United Kingdom and repatriated back to West Germany in early 1946. Shortly after his return, he became director and joint owner of DURAG-Apparatebau GmbH, and was a member of the supervisory board of the Gesellschaft zur Kernenergieverwertung in Schiffbau und Schiffahrt m.b.H