A Legacy Beyond a Lifetime

Jan Czochralski was born in Kcynia Poland, the 3rd youngest of 10 children. At that time called Exin, in the Prussian Partion of Poland and thus, technically, Germany.He was publicly known as Johann, even though his given name was Jan. He grew up speaking German in school and outside of the home, as was required by the Prussian rulers of the time in that region. Within the home it was Polish, as that is how the family self-identified.

At a very young age he set out for Berlin, the logical destination for an ambitious person from that area to seek opportunity in one of the largest and most buzzing cities in Europe at the time.

Gets first jobs that build knowledge, skills and contacts in pharmacy and chemistry.

Lands a great opportunity at AEG (Allgemeine Elektricitats Gesellschaft) in Berlin where he rapidly excels in metallurgical research over a 10-year tenure.

Gets married and has first child four years later. Both events happen in Berlin.

Discovers what becomes known as The Czochralski (CZ) Method of growing monocrystals. Its value does not become understood until almost 40 years later

 Finds more immediate success with another invention and patent: a metal alloy substitute for tin called "Metal B" with huge applications in transportation, particularly in the railroad industry.

Publishes first scientific paper on the CZ Method.

 Moves to Frankfurt to head his own state-of-the-art metallurgical laboratory financed by the company, Metallgesellschaft.  FInds time to have two more children there.

Invited to come to the U.S.A. -- to visit colleagues in New York City, and then on to Detroit to meet with auto magnate and wealthiest man in the world at that time, Henry Ford.

Returns to Frankfurt where his career continues to grow exponentially, along with his network, influence, fame and fortunes.

Appointed as President of the General Board of the German Society of Metal Science.

 THE FORK IN HIS ROAD:  To accept a job offer from Henry Ford to head scientific research at the Ford Motor Company in Detroit?  Or return to his native Poland to be a professor and department chair at the Warsaw Polytechnic University at the invitation of a fellow metallurgical scientist, Dr. Ignacy Mozcicki, who has just become President of the recently independent nation of Poland following WWII?

Arrives in Warsaw and is appointed as Professor of Metallurgy and Metal Research in the Chemistry Department at Warsaw Polytechnic (now: Warsaw University of Technology).

Buys an upscale Warsaw mansion.
Has chauffeurs. The kids go to private schools. He and his wife socialize with the rich and famous all over Europe.

In this year he also designs and begins construction of a country villa on some property he had acquired a few years earlier in Kcynia, a charming town, but still small and frozen in time - part of its charm and why he loved it so much.  Villa Margowo was named after his wife and initially occupied by JanCZ's mother.  This is also where he would take breaks from his busy Warsaw life to write poetry under the pen name, Jan Palucki.

All is not rosey in academic circles for JanCZ as peer jealousy and resentment leads to public accusations around his scientific credentials, followed by court filings, negative media publicity, and eventually a civilian trial. He is eventually acquitted.

Germany invades Poland by bombing Warsaw on August 1st, then occupying the city, once again ending Poland's brief 20-year reign as an independent republic. The Polish government goes into exile in London, from where it would operate remotely for the next 50 years, until 1990.

All lives in Poland are instantly turned upside down as WWII erupts. It would not end for the next six horrific years. Caught right in the middle of it all: JanCZ. Using his German knowledge and experiences to interact with Nazi's by day. Working closely with the Polish Resistance by night. Trying to do all he could every hour...to shelter, save and protect anyone he could...including himself, his family, his friends and associates. Six years of pure hell.

Criminal proceedings are lodged against JanCZ as a Nazi collaborator.  He is forced to stand trial.  On the line:  his life, once again -- as the charges against him carried a potential death penalty.  Fortunately he is acquitted, but the damage has been done:  to his career, his academic and social status, to his reputation.  Nearly everything is forcibly taken away from JanCZ as he is sentenced to a life of obscurity.

Banished from Warsaw, he returns to Kcynia with his family to live in their Margowo villa.  Ever the entrepreneur and not a candidate for retirement, JanCZ establishes a small, local, family pharmaceutical business called BION.

Transistors start being developed as a semiconductor amplifier at Bell Labs by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley. By 1950, the transistor team, under the direction of Gordon Teal and J.B. Little, come across the Czochralski Method in JanCZ's published papers.  Previously used only for metals, they adapt the technique to grow high-purity single-crystals of germanium to advance their technology even further.

Texas Instruments hires Gordon Teal, the Bell Labs scientist who had perfected application of the Czochralski Method for use in semiconductors, to establish a research lab. Teal's team at TI build their first crystal-pulling machine, nicknamed "Old Betsy." Using seed crystals provided by Bell Labs, they successfully pull their first crystals in June 1952. By 1954 they create the first commercially available silicon transistor. This gives TI a significant competitive advantage and establishes silicon as the industry's preferred material

Those former Shockley Semiconductor scientists establish Fairchild Semiconductors, a division of Fairchild Camera and Instruments, in nearby San Jose, California. Among the founders were Gordon Moore (of "Moore's Law" fame) and Robert Noyce, a physicist who is credited with inventing the microchip. Fairchild was the first to scale the process to manufacture integrated circuits using silicon -- incorporating the Czochralski Method into its wafers, a prerequisite for Fairchild's most significant advancements.  By 1960 the company had grown from 12 to 12,000 employees with sales of over $130 million annually.

William Shockley obtains U.S. Patent 3,031,275 for a "process of growing single crystals" -- essential to the advancement of chipmaking for the nascent world of semiconductors. Once again, no mention whatsoever is made of JanCZ or the long existent Czochralski Method.

Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce move on from Fairchild Semiconductors to co-found NM Electronics, soon renamed Intel Corporation. They were soon joined by Andrew Grove. Since the beginning, Intel processes and production incorporated the Czochralski Method to create semiconductor memory chips. In 1971 they introduced the first commercial microprocessor.

Intel was the dominant player in the computer industry through the 1990s, particularly as a microprocessor supplier, during these hyper-growth years of the computer industry that has fundamentally and transformatively changed civilization forevermore. This era shifted computing from a specialized field dominated by mainframes into an integral part of everyday business and personal life.

This period was defined by the personal computer revolution which put computing power into the hands of individuals and small businesses.  This was when JanCZ's grandson, Fred Schmidt, was swept into the nascent world of computer games, aware of his grandfather from family stories, but oblivious to JanCZ's impactful role in this revolution -- because that powerful story was buried in history, possibly never to be unearthed.  His great grand nephew, Sylwester Czochralski, who came of age as a digital native, was just born.

It is also significant to note here that after 42 years of occupation, the rise of Solidarność, Poland's decade-long trade union and freedom movement, led to the fall of the Soviet-aligned communist state established after WWII.  This enabled the citizens of this great nation to rediscover their own culture and history.  Among the rediscovery work getting underway was that of Dr. Pawel Tomasewski and his decades-long quest to uncover the full story of JanCZ.

 Building on the foundation of the personal computer, the 90s expanded computing with interconnected networks and commercialization of the Internet: Establishment of the World Wide Web in 1991.  Mosaic, the first popular web browser, in 1993, followed by Netscape Navigator in 1994, triggered a massive boom in public connectivity and e-commerce.  In 1999, Intel acquired Poland-based Olicom, establishing the Silicon Valley giant's presence as a major Polish employer.

This was a period of adjustment in the technology industry -- a tumultuous period at that.  The collapse of the dot-com bubble kicked it off in 2000.  Despite the initial crash...IT infrastructure, mobile telecommunications, and the Internet continued to evolve, laying the groundwork for even greater future advancement.

One recognition of JanCZ finally emerged within scientific circles:  A Jan Czochralski Award, often referred to as the Czochralski Gold Medal in Science was established by the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS).  It has now been awarded annually over 20 times to an elite group of worldwide scientists in materials science, including 9 times to American researchers from the likes of MIT, Harvard, Carnegie Mellon and the University of California.

2011 -- The first big public breakthrough in Poland with the recognition of Jan Czochralski's name arrives. After a thorough review of documents proving that, during the war, JanCZ had worked directly with the Intelligence Services of the Supreme Command of the Polish Home Army, the Senate at the Warsaw University of Technologyvoted on a resolution to restore the good name of their alumni. Today, the university features a large instructional classroom dedicated to JanCZ, a permanent exhibit of crystals grown using his method, busts and plaques around the campus. JanCZ's laboratory is also still in existence within the Chemistry Building and remains classified and not open for public viewing.

The country of Poland observed "The Year of Czochralski" when the Polish Parliament declared it as such to honor the chemist and metallurgist.  This led to his image appearing on postage stamps, bond certificates, exhibits, monuments, plaques, and more.  The International Conference on Crystal Growth was also convened in Warsaw and dedicated to JanCZ.

The 300-page book, "Jan Czochralski Restored" (ISBN 978-83-7432-945-3) is published by official biographer, Dr Pawel Tomaszewski. It is an English translation of the original 2012 book written in Polish.

A documentary film, Powrot Chemika (Return of The Chemist) debuted at the Camerimage Film Festival in Bydgoszcz. The hour-long program was made for Polish television, with a combination of Polish and English narrative and interviews, and subtitles as needed.

A graphic novel titled "Jan Czochralski - The Man Who Changed The World" is produced in both English (ISBN 978-83-949231-5-0) and Polish (ISBN 978-83-949231-4-3), a separate edition for each language.  It is written by Maciej Jasinski, illustrated by Jacek Michalski, and published by Agencja Reklamowa GALL sc. in Torun in an edition of 1,000 copies in English and 2,000 copies in Polish.

JanCZ is honored with the prestigious "Milestone Award" by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for the Czochralski Method.  The Milestone award recognizes outstanding technical achievements that have had a global impact and stood the test of time.  A plaque was unveiled at the Warsaw University of Technology where it is mounted today in the prominent Main Building.  

"Powrot, Rzecz o Janie Czochralskim" (Return, The Story of Jan Czochralski; ISBN 978-83-7977-341-5) another book by official biographer, Dr Pawel Tomaszewski, is released.  At 700 pages, this is the definitive bible of all things-Czochralski.  Only available in the Polish language at this time, but an English version is planned in the future.

The "Academy of Superheroes" is established by Dr Tomasz Rozek and his Nauka To Lubie Foundation. It's a media universe featuring 32 of Poland's most acclaimed scientists, including Copernicus, Madam Sklodewska-Curie -- and Jan Czochralski. The products include books, playing cards, and an online website. Dr. Rozek is a physicist and a popular science journalist with his own You Tube channel.

A second, hour-long, documentary film is released:  "Jan Czochralski: Forefather of Electronics" by Director Katarzyna Trzaska and producer Dominika Mandla.  It first aired on Polish television, TVP 1, as part of the series "Geniuses and Dreamers", then was also shown at festivals including the 2023 Polish FIlm Festival of America in Chicago.

A PKP Intercity train debuted featuring the Academy of Superheroes graphic of Jan Czochralski covering an entire locomotive.

The 140th Birthday of Jan Czochralski on October 23rd is commemorated and celebrated with exhibits and events in Warsaw and his hometown of Kcynia.

Two new "Institutes" to be established in Q4 in honor of JanCZ in Torun, Poland:  One, by the Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School and its College of Astronomy and Natural Sciences, which will expand to include physics, chemistry and mathematics targeting PhD research students in collaboration with entrepreneurs from the United States.  The other initiative is to be newly established by the Polish Academy of Sciences, will major in health, ecology and food.

A web search today on "Jan Czochralski" brings up more than 560,000 results!

The Polish Academy of Sciences is planning a JanCZ event at its Paris location to include a film screening, lectures and discussions.

A JanCZ History Center is anticipated to be housed in the Margowo villa in Kcynia which Czochralski designed and had built in the early 1930s. Perhaps a 100-Year Anniversary opening in 2030?

A JanCZ Museum in Warsaw is on the future wish list.

A full-length feature film for theatrical release, or as a streaming series, is already being worked on at the script stage.  The intent is to raise sufficient funds to attach A-list talent and create a drama around the JanCZ story along the lines of the blockbuster movie, "Oppenheimer."

An immersive, interactive VR Simulation is being conceptualized in which users can practice growing single crystals using the Czochralski Method. Then they would elect to use their newly created crystal to make either an electronic device like a mobile phone, or to produce a piece of synthetic jewelry.

Learning products are also envisioned in the form of books for children, puzzles, card games, and other fun and useful experiences.

Scholarships were part of JanCZ's offerings back to society when he was at the peak of his career.  We hope to revive such a program internationally, rewarding gifted students in the sciences and arts with financial support to pursue studies in their chosen fields.

Several annual events will be planned and delivered in the U.S., UK and Europe around various JanCZ anniversaries or commemorations.