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], mathematician[9], and nuclear physicist[10]. He ranks in the top 0.7% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (6,820 views/month, #6,994 of 1,000,298).[11]

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[12].
  • A child of Paul Ehrenfest was Tatyana Pavlovna Ehrenfest[13].
  • A child of Paul Ehrenfest was Galinka Ehrenfest[14].
  • Paul Ehrenfest held citizenship in Kingdom of the Netherlands[15].
  • Paul Ehrenfest held citizenship in Austria[16].
  • German was Paul Ehrenfest's native language[17].
  • Paul Ehrenfest is identified as part of the Jewish people ethnic group[18].
  • 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 worked as a nuclear physicist[10].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's field of work was theoretical physics[19].
  • Paul Ehrenfest held the position of professor[20].
  • Paul Ehrenfest was employed by Leiden University[21].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's education included a stint at Technische Hochschule[22].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's education included a stint at University of Vienna[23].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's education included a stint at University of Göttingen[24].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's education included a stint at Akademisches Gymnasium[25].
  • Paul Ehrenfest's doctoral advisor was Ludwig Boltzmann[26].
  • A notable student of Paul Ehrenfest was Samuel Goudsmit[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[18]. German was his native language[17].

Education

Educated at Technische Hochschule[22]; University of Vienna[23], a university[28], in Austria[29], founded in 1365[30], headquartered in Vienna[31]; University of Göttingen[24], a campus university[32], in Germany[33], founded in 1734[34], headquartered in Göttingen[35]; and Akademisches Gymnasium[25], a Gymnasium[36], in Austria[37], founded in 1553[38]. Paul Ehrenfest's doctoral advisor was Ludwig Boltzmann[26]. He earned the academic degree of Doctor of Philosophy[39].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include physicist[6], theoretical physicist[7], university teacher[8], mathematician[9], and nuclear physicist[10]. Paul Ehrenfest's field of work was theoretical physics[19]. Among his employers was Leiden University[21]. He held the position of professor[20]. Notable students include Samuel Goudsmit[27], Enrico Fermi[40], Gunnar Nordström[41], Yurii Aleksandrovich Krutkov[42], and Dirk Jan Struik[43]. Doctoral students include Jan Burgers[44], a physicist[45], 1895–1981[46], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[47], awarded the Fellow of the American Physical Society[48], specialised in physicist[49]; Jan Tinbergen[50], an economist[51], 1903–1994[52], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[53], awarded the honorary doctor of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven[54], specialised in economics[55]; Hans Kramers[56], a theoretical physicist[57], 1894–1952[58], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[59], awarded the Lorentz Medal[60], specialised in physics[61]; Dirk Coster[62], a physicist[63], 1889–1950[64], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[65], specialised in physics[66]; George Uhlenbeck[67], a physicist[68], 1900–1988[69], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[70], awarded the Max Planck Medal[71], specialised in theoretical physics[72]; and Samuel Goudsmit[73], a physicist[74], 1902–1978[75], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[76], awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship[77], specialised in theoretical physics[78].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include Ehrenfest theorem[79], Ehrenfest paradox[80], Ehrenfest model[81], Ehrenfest equations[82], and Ehrenfest–Tolman effect[83]. Things named for Paul Ehrenfest include Ehrenfest theorem[84], Ehrenfest paradox[85], Ehrenfest model[86], and Ehrenfest equations[87].

Personal Life

Among Paul Ehrenfest's spouses was Tatyana Afanasyeva[12]. Children include Tatyana Pavlovna Ehrenfest[13], a mathematician[88], 1905–1984[89], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[90], specialised in combinatorics[91] and Galinka Ehrenfest[14], a writer[92], 1910–1979[93], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[94]. His religion is recorded as atheism[95].

Death and Burial

Paul Ehrenfest died on September 25, 1933[5]. He passed away in Amsterdam[4]. The cause of death was gunshot wound[96].

Why It Matters

Paul Ehrenfest ranks in the top 0.7% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (6,820 views/month, #6,994 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 25 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[97] He is known by 29 alternative names across languages and contexts.[98]

Entities named for him include Ehrenfest theorem[84], Ehrenfest paradox[85], Ehrenfest model[86], and Ehrenfest equations[87].

His notable doctoral advisees include Alexander Friedmann[99], a mathematician[100], 1888–1925[101], of Russian Empire[102], awarded the Order of St. George[103], specialised in theoretical physics[104]; Jan Tinbergen[105], an economist[106], 1903–1994[107], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[108], awarded the honorary doctor of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven[109], specialised in economics[110]; Samuel Goudsmit[111], a physicist[112], 1902–1978[113], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[114], awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship[115], specialised in theoretical physics[116]; Hendrik Casimir[117]; George Uhlenbeck[118]; and Hans Kramers[119].

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[12].

What did Paul Ehrenfest do for work?

Paul Ehrenfest worked as physicist[6], theoretical physicist[7], university teacher[8], mathematician[9], and nuclear physicist[10].

Where did Paul Ehrenfest go to school?

Paul Ehrenfest was educated at Technische Hochschule[22], University of Vienna[23], University of Göttingen[24], and Akademisches Gymnasium[25].

References

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

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] ↑ . Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978). Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] ↑ . Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978). Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  3. [12] ↑ . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  4. [15] ↑ . Leidse Hoogleraren. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  5. [16] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  6. [20] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  7. [13] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  8. [14] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  9. [22] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  10. [23] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  11. [24] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  12. [25] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  13. [19] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  14. [17] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  15. [6] ↑ . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  16. [7] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  17. [8] ↑ . Leidse Hoogleraren. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  18. [9] ↑ . Czech National Authority Database. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  19. [10] ↑ . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  20. [21] ↑ . Leidse Hoogleraren. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  21. [95] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  22. [18] ↑ . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  23. [26] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. Retrieved . genealogy.ams.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  24. [44] ↑ . wikidata.org.
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  26. [56] ↑ . Mathematics Genealogy Project. Retrieved . genealogy.ams.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
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  30. [96] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  31. [39] ↑ . wikidata.org.
  32. [3] ↑ . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  33. [5] ↑ . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  34. [79] ↑ . wikidata.org.
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Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [99] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [105] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [111] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [117] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
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  6. [119] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [84] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
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  9. [86] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [87] ↑ . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [88] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [89] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [90] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [91] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [92] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
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  9. [29] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
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Class ancestry

  1. [1] ↑ . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] ↑ . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [97] ↑ . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [98] ↑ . 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 September 29, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/paul-ehrenfest
MLA “Paul Ehrenfest.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 29 Sep. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/paul-ehrenfest.
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: 2026-09-29}}
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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. 2d ago · Krateven · 2026-09-29 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Jewish encyclopedia id (russian) → 15108
    Wikipedia languages → ['ar', 'arz', 'az', 'azb', 'bg', 'bn', 'ca', 'commons', 'cs', 'da', 'de', 'el',
    Sitelink count → 49
    Claims rich → —
    "/* wbsetclaim-create:2||1 */ [[Property:P1438]]: 15108"
  2. 13w ago · Printstream · 2026-06-26 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14536 → 365848
    "/* wbcreateclaim-create:1| */ [[Property:P14536]]: 365848, #quickstatements; #temporary_batch_1782462304762"
  3. 18w ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-21 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation → physicist, theoretical physicist, university teacher +2
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/32153|batch #32153]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (35)"
  4. 19w 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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