Schrödinger was born in Vienna on August 12, 1887. He received his earliest education at home and then at the local gymnasium. He entered the University of Vienna and earned his Ph.D. there in 1910. During World War I, he served in the army as an artillery officer. After the war, he served on the faculties at the universities of Stüttgart, Zurich, and Berlin. He succeeded Max Planck at Berlin in 1927.

In 1933, Hitler's rise to power prompted Schrödinger to leave his homeland. He accepted an appointment as guest professor at Magdalene College, Oxford. After three years at Magdalene, he was offered a position as professor of physics at the University of Graz. The Austrian nation was in turmoil because of Nazi activities, but Schrödinger was homesick and decided to return to his native land.

The German annexation of Austria in 1938 convinced Schr...