  In 1923 Louis de Broglie (1892-1987) discovered the material waves and six
years later received the Nobel price for this discovery. Apart these well known
facts this French physicist nevertheless seems to be forgotten. Details of his
life are as unknown as his efforts to describe quantum mechanics in a
deterministic and objective way. Especially the actual discussion concerning
the interpretation of quantum mechanics seems to justify a deeper occupation
with the scientific work of Louis de Broglie. In this context the important
influence of Albert Einstein is of special interest; for his photons announce
the existence of material waves and it may surprise that Einstein himself did
not postulate them. The basis of this short scientific biography are the
publications of de Broglie (a complete bibliography is given at the end), some
more or less short memories of his students and some unpublished documents
found in the "Archives de l'Academie des Sciences" at Paris. The original text
of the correspondence between de Broglie and Einstein is enclosed in German
translation in the appendix.
