Paul Ehrenfest

Austrian and Dutch theoretical physicist (1880–1933)
Person human Q84227
Paul Ehrenfest
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Paul Ehrenfest

Summary

Paul Ehrenfest is a human[1]. His place of birth was Vienna[2]. He was born on January 18, 1880[3]. He died in Amsterdam[4]. He died on September 25, 1933[5]. He worked as a physicist[6], theoretical physicist[7], university teacher[8], and mathematician[9]. He ranks in the top 0.7% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (1,601 views/month, #6,994 of 1,000,298).[10]

Key Facts

  • Paul Ehrenfest was born in Vienna[2].
  • Paul Ehrenfest passed away in Amsterdam[4].
  • Paul Ehrenfest was born on January 18, 1880[3].
  • Paul Ehrenfest died on September 25, 1933[5].
  • Paul Ehrenfest was married to Tatyana Afanasyeva[11].
  • A child of Paul Ehrenfest was Tatyana Pavlovna Ehrenfest[12].
  • A child of Paul Ehrenfest was Galinka Ehrenfest[13].
  • Paul Ehrenfest held citizenship in Kingdom of the Netherlands[14].
  • Paul Ehrenfest held citizenship in Austria[15].
  • German was Paul Ehrenfest's native language[16].
  • Paul Ehrenfest is identified as part of the Jewish people ethnic group[17].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's professions included physicist[6].
  • Paul Ehrenfest worked as a theoretical physicist[7].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's professions included university teacher[8].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's professions included mathematician[9].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's field of work was theoretical physics[18].
  • Paul Ehrenfest held the position of professor[19].
  • Paul Ehrenfest was employed by Leiden University[20].
  • Paul Ehrenfest was educated at Technische Hochschule[21].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's education included a stint at University of Vienna[22].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's education included a stint at University of Göttingen[23].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's education included a stint at Akademisches Gymnasium[24].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's doctoral advisor was Ludwig Boltzmann[25].
  • A notable student of Paul Ehrenfest was Samuel Goudsmit[26].
  • A notable student of Paul Ehrenfest was Enrico Fermi[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Paul Ehrenfest's place of birth was Vienna[2]. He was born on January 18, 1880[3]. He is identified as part of the Jewish people ethnic group[17]. German was his native language[16].

Education

Educated at Technische Hochschule[21]; University of Vienna[22], a university[28], in Austria[29], founded in 1365[30], headquartered in Vienna[31]; University of Göttingen[23], a campus university[32], in Germany[33], founded in 1734[34], headquartered in Göttingen[35]; and Akademisches Gymnasium[24], a Gymnasium[36], in Austria[37], founded in 1553[38]. Paul Ehrenfest's doctoral advisor was Ludwig Boltzmann[25]. He earned the academic degree of Doctor of Philosophy[39].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include physicist[6], theoretical physicist[7], university teacher[8], and mathematician[9]. Paul Ehrenfest's field of work was theoretical physics[18]. Among his employers was Leiden University[20]. He held the position of professor[19]. Notable students include Samuel Goudsmit[26], Enrico Fermi[27], Gunnar Nordström[40], Yurii Aleksandrovich Krutkov[41], and Dirk Jan Struik[42]. Doctoral students include Jan Burgers[43], a physicist[44], 1895–1981[45], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[46], awarded the Fellow of the American Physical Society[47], specialised in physicist[48]; Jan Tinbergen[49], an economist[50], 1903–1994[51], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[52], awarded the honorary doctor of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven[53], specialised in economics[54]; Hans Kramers[55], a theoretical physicist[56], 1894–1952[57], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[58], awarded the Lorentz Medal[59], specialised in physics[60]; Dirk Coster[61], a physicist[62], 1889–1950[63], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[64], specialised in physics[65]; George Uhlenbeck[66], a physicist[67], 1900–1988[68], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[69], awarded the Max Planck Medal[70], specialised in theoretical physics[71]; and Samuel Goudsmit[72], a physicist[73], 1902–1978[74], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[75], awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship[76], specialised in theoretical physics[77].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include Ehrenfest theorem[78], Ehrenfest paradox[79], Ehrenfest model[80], Ehrenfest equations[81], and Ehrenfest–Tolman effect[82]. Things named for Paul Ehrenfest include Ehrenfest theorem[83], Ehrenfest paradox[84], Ehrenfest model[85], and Ehrenfest equations[86].

Personal Life

Among Paul Ehrenfest's spouses was Tatyana Afanasyeva[11]. Children include Tatyana Pavlovna Ehrenfest[12], a mathematician[87], 1905–1984[88], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[89], specialised in combinatorics[90] and Galinka Ehrenfest[13], a writer[91], 1910–1979[92], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[93]. His religion is recorded as atheism[94].

Death and Burial

Paul Ehrenfest died on September 25, 1933[5]. He passed away in Amsterdam[4]. The cause of death was gunshot wound[95].

Why It Matters

Paul Ehrenfest ranks in the top 0.7% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (1,601 views/month, #6,994 of 1,000,298).[10] He has Wikipedia articles in 25 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[96] He is known by 17 alternative names across languages and contexts.[97]

Entities named for him include Ehrenfest theorem[83], Ehrenfest paradox[84], Ehrenfest model[85], and Ehrenfest equations[86].

His notable doctoral advisees include Alexander Friedmann[98], a mathematician[99], 1888–1925[100], of Russian Empire[101], awarded the Order of St. George[102], specialised in theoretical physics[103]; Hendrik Casimir[104], a physicist[105], 1909–2000[106], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[107], awarded the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order[108], specialised in physics[109]; Jan Tinbergen[110], an economist[111], 1903–1994[112], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[113], awarded the honorary doctor of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven[114], specialised in economics[115]; Hans Kramers[116]; Samuel Goudsmit[117]; and George Uhlenbeck[118].

FAQs

Where was Paul Ehrenfest born?

Paul Ehrenfest was born in Vienna[2].

Where did Paul Ehrenfest die?

Paul Ehrenfest died in Amsterdam[4].

Who was Paul Ehrenfest married to?

Paul Ehrenfest's spouses include Tatyana Afanasyeva[11].

What did Paul Ehrenfest do for work?

Paul Ehrenfest worked as physicist[6], theoretical physicist[7], university teacher[8], and mathematician[9].

Where did Paul Ehrenfest go to school?

Paul Ehrenfest was educated at Technische Hochschule[21], University of Vienna[22], University of Göttingen[23], and Akademisches Gymnasium[24].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

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  2. [4] . Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978). Retrieved . wikidata.org.
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  22. [25] . Mathematics Genealogy Project. Retrieved . genealogy.ams.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
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Class ancestry

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  2. [96] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [97] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Paul Ehrenfest. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/paul-ehrenfest
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BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_paul-ehrenfest_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Paul Ehrenfest}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/paul-ehrenfest}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-11}}
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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 11d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-21 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation physicist, theoretical physicist, university teacher +1
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/32153|batch #32153]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (35)"
  2. 18d ago · Sj1mor · 2026-05-14 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Academic thesis Q87743908
    Plaque image Leiden - Witte Rozenstraat 57 - gevelsteen.jpg
    Position held professor
    Relative Hugo Ehrenfest
    + 42 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:2||1 */ [[Property:P1801]]: Leiden - Witte Rozenstraat 57 - gevelsteen.jpg"
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