Beurling visit and G printer opening
This week we had the pleasure of receiving Arne Beurling's grandchildren and great-grandchildren visiting from the USA. In connection with the visit, FRA opened the hood of the German encryption machine der Geheimschreiber (the G-writer), which has been deposited by FRA at the department and is displayed in the Explanatorium exhibition at the Ångström Laboratory.
(Image removed) From the left: Pär Gudfastsson, Marie Chajara Svensson, Fredrik Wallin (FRA), Albert Beurling Harbury, Martin Herschend, Svante Janson, Christer Kieselman, Eva Josephine Beurling Harbury, Alix Beurling Harbury, Kristina Östberg Eriksson och Åsa Ljungqvist (FRA). Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt
Arne Beurling was the mathematics professor from Uppsala University who performed the ingenious feat of solving the G-writer's encryption so that Sweden could stay informed of Germany's activities and plans during three years of the Second World War. The G-writer was the Germans' most advanced cryptographic machine and was intended to be unbreakable.
After the tour of the G-printer, the relatives were shown the site outside the Ångström Laboratory where Arne Beurling's bust will be installed later in September. We also got rights signed to digitally publish Arne Beurling's professional documents previously donated by the family and stored at the university library.
SVT Uppsala was on site and filmed, see the feature on their website.
Here you can read more about the story of Arne Beurling and the G-writer.
Take part of the Beurling archive, which is currently located on the department's website but will soon move to the University Library's digital archive.