Berlin, Julius Springer, 1938. 4to (27.0 x 19.5 cm). 2 pp. Original printed wrappers.

This is an essential paper on the discovery that uranium could be split into several lighter elements (nuclear fission). In it, Hahn and Strassmann proposed an explanation for a problem previously noted that year by Irène Curie and Pavle Savić. Their theoretical proposal turned out to be wrong, but served well as a basis and catalyst for new research that only a few weeks later lead to a decisive breakthrough. Written by the German physicists Otto Hahn (1879-1968) and Friedrich Wilhelm "Fritz" Strassmann (1902-1980), and published in Die Naturwissenschaften Herausgegeben von Fritz Süffert. Hahn won the 1944 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, although Strassmann (and Lise Meitner) played a no less important part in the discovery and understanding of nuclear fission. These is the complete, original issue of Die Naturwissenschaften, 26. Jahrgang. Heft 46 (pp. 745-760). Wrappers very weakly toned, as always, and with a few, small and very weak creases in the outer margin, otherwise fine, clean, unmarked. An excellent copy. Chemie.de Lexicon, Entdeckung der Kernspaltung 3.3.3.