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Helge Stjernholm Kragh
Professor Emeritus

Professional experience

Helge Kragh was Professor at the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen

He is Associated Researcher at the Niels Bohr Archive

Awards

  1. (2025) Società Italiana di Fisica (SIF) prize "for his remarkable and recognised contributions to the history of 20th century physics, especially regarding the historical development of relativity and quantum mechanics"

  2. (2022) Svend Bergsøe Prize for Science Dissemination

  3. (2019) Roy G. Neville Prize in Bibliography or Biography from the Science History Institute, Philadelphia for Julius Thomsen: A Life in Chemistry and Beyond

  4. (2019) Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics from the American Physical Society

  5. (2016) Physics Estoire Prize, European Physical Society

  6. (2016) Science History Institute

  7. (2008–2010) President, European Society for the History of Science

  8. (28.12.2005) Full member of the Academie Internationale d'Histoire des Sciences

  9. (02.02.1995) Corresponding member of the Academie Internationale d'Histoire des Sciences

  10. Member, Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters

Publications

    He is the author of more than 850 scholarly publications, including numerous books on the history of physics, cosmology, and chemistry

  1. H. Kragh, How Einstein built on the past to make his breakthroughs, Nature (625) 655-656 (2024)

  2. H. Kragh, The Names of Science : Terminology and Language in the History of the Natural Sciences (2024)

  3. H. Kragh, The emergence of modern cosmology (2023) 20 s.

  4. H. Kragh, From Quanta to Gravitation: The Science and Life of Christian Moller (2023)

  5. H. Kragh, Philosophical aspects of the steady-state universe. HOPOS: Journal of the International Society for the Philosophy of Science (12) 129–145 (2022)

  6. H. Kragh, Terminological history of early elementary particle physics, Archive for History of Exact Sciences, 1-48 (2022)

  7. H. Kragh, Between the Earth and the Heavens: Historical Studies in the Physical Sciences, Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte Ltd. (2021) 396 s.

  8. H. Kragh, The pope of condensed matter physics, A Mind Over Matter: Philip Anderson and the Physics of the Very Many. Zangwill, A. (red.). Oxford University Press, 4 s. (Metascience) (2021)

  9. H. Kragh, Da vandet mistede sin hukommelse, Weekendavisen, Ideer, I, s. 5 (2021)

  10. H. Kragh, Patologisk regndans, Weekendavisen, Ideer, s. 5 (2021)

  11. H. Kragh, En klode med voksevork, Weekendavisen, Ideer. s. 5 (2021)

  12. H. Kragh, Review of What Is a Chemical Element? By Eric Scerri and Elena Ghibaudi, eds. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020, Substantia. 5, 1, s. 157-158 (2021)

  13. H. Kragh, Chemical and other aspects of Rutherford’s nuclear atom, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Special Issue, 15 s. (2020)

  14. H. Kragh, Building the standard cosmological model, Journal for the History of Astronomy. 51, 4, s. 482-483 (2020)

  15. H. Kragh, Constructing Quantum Mechanics, Volume 1: The Scaffold 1900-1923, Annals of Science. 77, 4, s. 552-554 (2020)

  16. H. Kragh, H. C. Orsted og dansk folkeoplysning, Aktuel Naturvidenskab. 4, s. 40-42 (2020)

  17. H. Kragh, Videnskabsmanden H. C. Orsted, Fysik-Kemi. 2, 4 s. (2020)

  18. H. Kragh, Foton – nove vyjasneni stareho pojmu, Cesoslovenky Casopis pro Fyziku. 70, s. 173-179 (2020)

  19. H. Kragh, Fra Descartes til superstrenge: Aspekter af foreningsteoriernes historie, Kvant. 31, 2, s. 3-9 (2020)

  20. H. Kragh, Mendelejev og det periodiske systems tidlige historie, Kvant. 31, 1, s. 3-6 (2020)

  21. H. Kragh, Review of: V. Fages, Savantes nébuleuses (Paris: 2018), Centaurus. 61, s. 453-455 (2020)

  22. H. Kragh, The periodic system and the idea of a chemical element: From Mendeleev to superheavy elements, Centaurus. 61, s. 329-344 (2020)

  23. H. Kragh, Den Sore Historie om Venus' Måne og Andre Naturvidenskabelige Fortollinger (The Strange History of Venus' Moon and Other Scientific Tales). Lindhardt og Ringhof (2020)

  24. H. Kragh, The chemist Hans Christian Orsted, Hans Christian Orsted – the Unity of Spirit and Nature. Pepke Pedersen, J. O., Pedersen, C., Olesen, D. (red.). Copenhagen, Kvants Forlag, s. 83-90 (2020)

  25. H. Kragh, Astrophysicist’s personality outshines his scientific legacy: Zwicky: The Outcast Genius Who Unmasked the Universe, Physics Today. 73, 2, s. 52-53 (2020)

  26. H. Kragh, Cosmology and religion, Encyclopedia of the history of science. s. 1-16 (2020)

  27. H. Kragh, Max Weinstein: Physics, philosophy, pandeism, World and Life Views Emerging from Religion, Philosophy, and Perception of Nature . Weinstein, M. (red.). Pandeism Anthology Project, s. 1-13 (2020)

  28. H. Kragh, M. Longair (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the History of Modern Cosmology, Oxford University Press (2019)

  29. H. Kragh, Ludvig Lorenz: A Nineteenth-Century Theoretical Physicist (2018)

  30. H. Kragh, Is the universe expanding? Fritz Zwicky and early tired-light hypotheses, Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage (20) 2–12 (2017)

  31. H. Kragh, Julius Thomsen: A Life in Chemistry and Beyond, Copenhagen, Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab (2016)

  32. H. Kragh, Varying Gravity Dirac’s Legacy in Cosmology and Geophysics, Birkhauser (2016)

  33. H. Kragh, Expanding Earth and declining gravity A chapter in the recent history of geophysics, History of Geo- and Space Sciences, Vol (6) 45-55 (2015)

  34. H. Kragh, Gravitation and the earth sciences: The contributions of Robert Dicke, Arxiv: 1501.04293 [physics.hist-ph] (2015)

  35. H. Kragh, Masters of the Universe, Oxford University Press (2015)

  36. H. Kragh, One Hundred Years of the Bohr Atom, Royal Danish Academy of Science (2015) edited with F. Aaserud)

  37. H. Kragh, M. Kaji, G. Pallo (Eds), Early Responses to the Periodic System, Oxford University Press (2015)

  38. H. Kragh, K. Nielsen (Eds), 50 opfindelser: Hojdepunkter i teknologien, Aarhus Universitetsforlag (2015)

  39. H. Kragh, J. Overduin, The Weight of the Vacuum: A Scientific History of Dark Energy, Heidelberg, Springer (2014) 121 p.

  40. H. Kragh, Sandhed, Aarhus, Universitetsforlag (2014) 60 p.

  41. H. Kragh, Naming the Big Bang, Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences (44) 3–36 (2014)

  42. H. Kragh, The science of the universe: Cosmology and science education, International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching, vol. 1, ed. Michael Matthews, Vol. 1, Dordrecht: Springer (2014) p. 643-665

  43. H. Kragh, M. Skydsgaard, T. Wang, 50 opdagelser, Hojdepunkter i naturvidenskaben, Aarhus Universitetsforlag (2013)

  44. H. Kragh, Conceptions of Cosmos: From Myths to the Accelerating Universe (2013)

  45. H. Kragh, Zollner’s universe, Physics in Perspective (14) 392–420 (2012)

  46. H. Kragh, Is space flat? Nineteenth-century astronomy and non-Euclidean astronomy, Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage (15) 149–158 (2012)

  47. H. Kragh, Higher speculations: grand theories and failed revolutions in physics and cosmology, Oxford University Press (2011)

  48. H. Kragh, P. Kjargaard, P. Kjargaard, H. Nielsen, K. Nielsen (Eds), Science in Denmark. A Thousand-Year History, Aarhus University Press (2008)

  49. H. Kragh, The Moon that wasn't -the saga of Venus'spurious satellite. Birkhauser (2008)

  50. H. Kragh, Entropyc Creation – religious contexts of thermodynamics and cosmology. Ashgate, London (2008)

  51. H. Kragh, Conceptions of Cosmos – from myth to the accelerating universe, Oxford University Press (2007, 2013)

  52. H. Kragh, D. Lambert, The context of discovery: Lemaître and the origin of the primeval-atom hypothesis. Annals of Science (64) 445–470 (2007)

  53. H. Nielsen, H. Kragh, P. Kjargaard, K. Nielsen, Naturvidenskabernes danmarkshistorie (2005)

  54. H. Kragh, Matter and Spirit in the Universe – scientific and religious preludes to modern cosmology (2004)

  55. H. Kragh, G. Vanpaemel, P. Marage (eds), History of Modern Physics, Turnhout: Brepols Publishers, 2002 (Proceedings of the XXth International Congress of History of Science, Liege, 20-26 July 1997, volume XIV

  56. H. Kragh, Quantum Generations: A History of Physics in the Twentieth Century (2002)

  57. H. Kragh, Universet i perspektiv: kosmologi, filosofi og teologi, Fremad (2001)

  58. H. Kragh, Cosmology and Controversy – the historical development of two theories of the universe, Princeton University Press (1999)

  59. H. Kragh, Quantum Generations – a history of physics in the 20 Century, Princeton University Press (1999)

  60. H. Kragh, D. Knight (eds.), The Making of the Chemist: The Social History of Chemistry in Europe, 1789–1914, Cambridge University Press (1998)

  61. H. Kragh, Cosmology and Controversy. The historical development of two theories of the universe, Princeton University Press (1996)

  62. H. Kragh, Cosmology between the wars: the Nernst-Macmillan alternative. J. Hist. Astron. (26) 93–115 (1995)

  63. H. Kragh, Cosmonumerology and empiricism: The Dirac-Gamow dialogue, Astron. Quart. (8) 109–126 (1991)

  64. H. Kragh, Dirac – a scientific biography, Cambridge University Press (1990, 2005)

  65. H. Kragh, Cosmology and Controversy (1999)

  66. H. Kragh, An Introduction to the Historiography of Science (1989)

  67. H. Kragh, An introduction to the historiography of Science, Cambridge University Press (1987)

  68. H. Kragh, On science and underdevelopment, Roskilde Universitetsforlag (1980)

References

  1. Helge Kragh

  2. Helge Kragh receives 2025 SIF Award, Niels Bohr Archive, 23 September 2025

  3. Helge Stjernholm Kragh, Professor Emeritus, Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen

  4. Roy G. Neville Prize awarded to Helge Kragh, Niels Bohr Archive, News, 14 September 2019

  5. Professor Emeritus Helge Kragh receives the prestigeous Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics 2019

  6. 2019 APS Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics to Helge Kragh, e-EPS, 20 November 2018

  7. G. Roy, Neville Prize in Bibliography or Biography, Science History Institute. Retrieved February 1, 2018.

  8. Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics: Recipient Helge Kragh Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, APS Physics. Retrieved January 16, 2020

  9. European Society For The History of Science Past President 2008–2010 Helge Kragh

  10. G. Rocha, Helge Kragh: Interview (28 June 2017), Transversal: International Journal for the Historiography of Science (2) 233-237 (2017)

  11. Helge Kragh, International Academy of the History of Science. Retrieved 24 January 2016

  12. Helge Kragh, Members, Videnskabernes Selskab (The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. Retrieved 24 January 2016

Niels Bohr Institute
Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen
Denmark

E-mail: helge.kragh@nbi.ku.dk

Created: 12 February 2017
Updated: 23 June 2026

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