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

Period	Address	Inscription 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.