Gödel in Vienna

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Kurt Gödel lived here in Vienna from 1924 until his emigration in 1940. During this time he proved his celebrated theorems, which clarified what can and what cannot be expressed in first-order logic: the completeness theorem and the (first and second) incompleteness theorems.

A number of commemorative plaques document stations of Gödel's life in Vienna.


Gödel auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen
PeriodAddressInscription and notes
October 8th, 1924

April 8th, 1927
Florianigasse 42
Wien 8
"Der größte Logiker des 20. Jahrhunderts
Kurt Gödel 1906–1978
wohnte hier als Student der Mathematik und Philosophie
vom 8.10.1924 bis zum 8.4.1927" [1]
"The greatest logician of the 20th century, Kurt Gödel (1906–1978) lived here as a student of mathematics and philosophy October 10th, 1924 to April 8th, 1927."
Note: This plaque was unveiled on April 27th, 2008.*
April 8th, 1927

July 20th, 1927
Frankgasse 10
Wien 9
"Kurt Gödel 1906–1978
Der bedeutendste Logiker seiner Zeit wohnte hier als Student der Mathematik und Philosophie
vom 8.4.1927 bis zum 20.7.1927
A ⇔ ⊨A" [2]
"Kurt Gödel (1906–1978), the most outstanding logician of his time, lived here as a student of mathematics and philosophy April 8th, 1927 to July 20th, 1927."
Note: This plaque was unveiled on April 28th, 2008.*
October 6th, 1927

July 1st, 1928
Währinger Straße 33
Wien 9
"Kurt Gödel 1906–1978
Der bedeutendste Logiker seiner Zeit wohnte hier als Student der Mathematik und Philosophie
vom 6.10.1927 bis zum 1.7.1928
T⊬⊥ ⇔ T⊬CONST" [3]
"Kurt Gödel (1906–1978), the most outstanding logician of his time, lived here as a student of mathematics and philosophy October 27th, 1927 to July 1st, 1928."
Note: This plaque was unveiled on April 28th, 2008.*
July 4th, 1928

November 5th, 1929
Lange Gasse 72
Wien 8
"Kurt Gödel 1906–1978
Der bedeutendste Logiker seiner Zeit wohnte hier als Student der Mathematik und Philosophie
vom 4.7.1928 bis zum 5.11.1929
ZF ⊢ CONSZF⇔CONSZFC+CH" [4]
"Kurt Gödel (1906–1978), the most outstanding logician of his time, lived here as a student of mathematics and philosophy July 4th, 1928 to November 5th, 1929."
Note: This plaque was unveiled on April 28th, 2008.*
1930

1937
Josefstädter Straße 43-45
Wien 8
"In diesem Hause wohnte von 1930–1937 der große Mathematiker und Logiker
Kurt Gödel 1906–1978
Hier entdeckte er seinen berühmten Unvollständigkeitssatz
die bedeutendste mathematische Entdeckung des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts
2006" [5]
"In this house lived from 1930–1937 the great mathematician and logician Kurt Gödel (1906–1978). Here, he discovered his famous incompleteness theorem, the most significant discovery of the 20th century."
Note: This plaque was unveiled on February 23rd, 2007.**
November 11th, 1937

November 9th, 1939
Himmelstraße 41
Wien 19
"Dieses Haus ehrte durch seinen Aufenthalt 11.11.1937–9.11.1939 vor der Emigration einer der bedeutendsten Mathematiker und Logiker des 20. Jahrhunderts
Prof. Dr. Kurt Gödel 1906-1978
1930 Vollständigkeit des Logikkalküls
1938 Relative Widerspruchsfreiheit des Auswahlaxioms und der Kontinuumshypothese zur Mengentheorie
1945 Träger des Einsteinpreises
1967 Ehrendoktor der Harvard University" [6]
"This house was graced by the presence from November 11th, 1937 to November 9th, 1939 before his emigration by one of the most outstanding mathematicians and logicians of the 20th century, Prof. Dr. Kurt Gödel (1906–1978).
1930 Completeness of first order logic
1938 relative consistency of the axiom of choice and the continuum hypothesis with set theory
1945 Einstein Award
1967 honorary doctor at Harvard University"
Note: According to other sources, Gödel received the Einstein Award in 1951.***
November 9th, 1939

January 10th, 1940
Hegelgasse 5
Wien 1
"Der große Mathematiker und Logiker
Kurt Gödel 1906–1978
hatte hier seinen letzten Wohnsitz
vom 9.11.1939 bis zum 10.1.1940
bevor er Wien für immer verließ" [7]
"The great mathematician and logician Kurt Gödel (1906–1978) took his last residence November 9th, 1939 to January 10th, 1940 here before he left Vienna for good."
Note: This plaque was unveiled on April 28th, 2008.*
Note: Gödel was registered at this address until February 14th, 1948****.
(1922

1936)
Boltzmanngasse 5
Wien 9
Note: In today's room 3E28 in this building the Vienna Circle held their meetings; Gödel participated occasionally. After several modifications, nothing of the original furnishing of the room remains today.
 Strudlhofgasse 4
Wien 9
Note: One of the lecture rooms (3E63) in this building is named after Gödel in his honor. It used to be called "Kleiner Hörsaal" (small lecture room) and is situated next to what was formerly called "Großer Hörsaal" (big lecture room) and is now Ludwig-Boltzmann-Hörsaal (Ludwig Boltzmann lecture room).
* Announcement: http://www.logic.univie.ac.at/2009/Goedel_plaques.html. KGRC members attended the ceremony.
** Press release (APA-OTS): http://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20070219_OTS0022/josefstadt-mathematische-gedenktafel-enthuellung.
*** Feferman, Dawson, Kleene, Moore, Solovay, Heijenoort (eds.): Kurt Gödel: Collected Works. Volume I: Publications 1929-1936. Oxford University Press, New York - Oxford, 1986, pages 37–43.
**** Schimanovich-Galidescu, Maria-Elena: Archivmaterial zu Kurt Gödels Wiener Zeit. 1924 - 1940; in Köhler, Weibel, Stöltzner, Buldt, Klein, DePauli-Schimanovich-Göttig (eds.): Kurt Gödel. Wahrheit und Beweisbarkeit. Volume 1: Dokumente und historische Analysen. Wien 2002, pages 135–147.

We thank Dr. Ewald Judt for providing the photographs that are linked after the inscription texts.

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Kurt Gödel Research Center for Mathematical Logic. Währinger Straße 25, 1090 Wien, Austria. Phone +43-1-4277-50501. Last updated: 2012-10-13, 19:55.