Theater Performance at Freie Universität on Mathematician Emmy Noether and Her Impact

Special performance in English on May 11, 2023, in honor of the International Day of Women in Mathematics

Freie Universität Berlin will host a theater performance about mathematician Emmy Noether (1882-1935) on May 11. The piece "Diving into Math with Emmy Noether" will be performed in English by the Portraittheater Vienna and presents the life and accomplishments of one of the most influential mathematicians of the twentieth century. The theater performance is taking place as part a two-day series of events in honor of International Day of Women in Mathematics. Admission is free. Advance registration is required.

Emmy Noether’s works and teachings left a lasting mark on modern algebra, opening new avenues for a modern structural perspective in mathematics. Noether began her studies at a time when women were only beginning to break down the barriers that prevented them from entering the doors of German universities. She eventually overcame even stronger resistance when she applied for the right to teach at a German university. It took her four years before she acquired that certification (Habilitation) in Göttingen on June 4, 1919, after submitting a thesis in which she solved one of the central problems in Einstein’s general theory of relativity. To celebrate the centenary of this event and the career of a unique personality in the history of mathematics, the ensemble Portraittheater Vienna produced a biographical play, directed by Sandra Schüddekopf and starring Anita Zieher as Emmy.

Time and Location

  • Thursday, May 11, 2023, 4:30 p.m.
  • Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB), Takustraße 7, 14195 Berlin, Lecture Hall
  • A reception with light snacks will be held afterward.


  • Please register in advance if you wish to attend: https://terminplaner6.d­fn.de/de/b­/aefb76bb0­c5187d4891­dd8ef076d5­572-196291

    About the Performance

    "Diving into Math with Emmy Noether" opened on June 4, 2019, at Freie Universität Berlin. Since then the play has been performed with great success at several different universities throughout Germany. Based on historical documents and events, the script was written by Freie Universität alumna Sandra Schüddekopf and Anita Zieher in cooperation with former Central Women’s Representative of Freie Universität Mechthild Koreuber and historian David E. Rowe. Financial support for the original production was provided by three universities in Berlin (Freie Universität, Humboldt-Universität, Technische Universität), and four other German universities (Erlangen-Nürnberg, Göttingen, Mainz, and Bielefeld).