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Abstract

At the beginning of the First World War, the numbers of members from French speaking countries in German Academies and the number of members from German speaking countries in French Academies were roughly the same, and equally high. For instance the French Academy of Sciences had 23 members belonging to German speaking countries, of which 17 from Germany. The Berlin Academy of sciences had 16 members from French speaking countries, the Gbttingen Academy 18 members, and the Bavarian Academy 13. The Leopoldina had also a great number of French members, as a result of a long-lasting policy. These data show that the relationships between France and Germany in the fields of natural and human sciences were traditionally very well developed. However, these relationships were so damaged by the First World War that they could revive only slowly after the Second World War. The sometimes vivid discussions, which took place within several Academies of the Institut de France regarding the mea- sures to be taken in the field of scientific cooperation against the Central Powers, will be commented in this paper.