A scientist in public: Werner Heisenberg after 1945

What sorts of public roles were open to scientists after World War II? Wern er Heisenberg, 1932 Nobel laureate in physics, became a prominent figure on the West German public stage. His activity was not confined to science pol icy, but encompassed certain broader political interventions as well as a n otable cultural presence. These postwar years offer interesting insights in to Heisenberg as an individual, and his case provides a perspective on the character of scientists' public prominence.