When Richard Goldschmidt emigrated to the United States in 1936, he had
influenced a whole generation of young biologists, and had stimulated
their research by his revolutionary ideas. Stern (1967, see p. 21)
called him: 'Contributor of permanent parts, some very large; preceptor
and critic of his era; designer of frameworks for the future'. In 1958
Goldschmidt's obituary was prefaced by the following statement: 'Der
nachstehende Nekrolog erscheint gleichzeitig in Science und Ex-
perientia, damit das universale Heimatrecht Richard Goldschmidts zum
Ausdruck bringend. Die Leser von Experientia erinnern sich dankbar der
verschiedenen genetischen Aufsiitze dieses immer anregenden Geistes, dem
unsere Wissenschaft grosse Impulse verdankt.' (Translation: The
following obituary appears simultaneously in Science and in Experientia,
a symbol of Richard Goldschmidt's right to be called a world citizen.
Readers of Experientia will recall with appreciation several of the
papers of this highly stimulating author to whom our science owes a
great deal. (Experientia 14, 307, 1958). In commemoration of the 20th
anniversary of Richard Goldschmidt's death (April 24, 1958) and the
100th anniversary of his birth (April 12, 1878) Experientia presents a
contemporary evaluation of several of Goldschmidt's major scientific
theories. We believe that some of these theories were far ahead of his
time and that the controversies which they aroused are of considerable
didactic interest to biologists today. Further- more, they represent an
important chapter in the history of biology.