"I was born in 1923 into a middle class Jewish family in Vienna, a few years after the end of World War I, which was disastrous from the Austrian point of view"

This quote by Walter Kohn paints a vibrant photo of his life in Vienna during the early 20th century. Born in 1923, Kohn was born into a middle class Jewish household in Vienna, a city that had only just recently been devastated by the end of World War I. This war had actually been especially disastrous for Austria, as it had resulted in the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the loss of much of its territory. Kohn's household, like numerous others, had to adapt to the brand-new reality of life in a post-war Vienna. Despite the hardships, Kohn had the ability to discover success in his life, ultimately becoming a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. His quote serves as a tip of the difficult times that he and his household needed to sustain, and of the strength of the human spirit in the face of misfortune.