Schafroth, Max Robert

Max Schafroth was born in Burgdorf, Switzerland, of Swiss parents, educated at public schools in Burgdorf and Berne, graduating from the Stadtisches Gymnasium Bern in 1941. His tertiary studies were interrupted by 2 years service with the Swiss army. In 1948, Schafroth received a Diploma in Mathematics and Physics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich; in 1949, he was awarded the title of DrScNat for his work in theoretical physics under Professor W Pauli. From 1949 to 1953, Schafroth worked as Pauli's assistant, mainly on Quantum Field Theory and the Theory of Superconductivity. In the year 1953-1954 prior to his appointment as lecturer to the University of Sydney in mid-1954, Schafroth was a research fellow at the University of Liverpool where he worked with Professor H Frolich on superconductivity. Schafroth was promoted to a senior lectureship from Jan 1, 1955 and a readership in 1957. During this period, he took study leave at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton in late 1955 in order to discuss the work on superconductivity of the Sydney group of physicists. In mid 1958, he took 6 weeks study leave to attend specialist conferences in Europe. On 10th October 1958, Schafroth wrote a letter of resignation from his position as reader, to take effect from September 1959 in order to take up an appointment as Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Geneva. On 31st March, 1959, Schafroth applied to the University of Sydney for admission to the degree of Doctor of Science. Schafroth died on 29th May, 1959. He was buried with his wife in the New Cemetery, Townsville. Schafroth had married in Zurich in 1952; at the time of their death, they had one child.

These notes were compiled from Schafroth's papers (P127) and his University of Sydney personnel file (Archives G3/158).