The formula for happiness

Dr Helmut König

He may have retired in 1993, but Dr Helmut König has never thought of giving up. His passion has always been maths. And the 92-year-old has been passing this passion on to pupils since 1960. Last Tuesday in Dresden, Dr König was awarded the Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony for his boundless commitment to promoting mathematics.

What has driven you all your life to encourage pupils in maths?
Dr Helmut König: I was inspired by a book that I received as a gift from my professor during my studies in Halle: "School of Thought" by Georg Pólya. In it, this famous mathematician, who was also interested in teacher training, shows heuristic methods for learning to solve mathematical problems. I also wrote my habilitation thesis on these methods and when I came to Chemnitz, I realised that I wanted to promote mathematics outside the classroom. At the university in Chemnitz, we then selected the best maths students every year as part of a so-called "mathematical youth project" and they led maths circles for pupils under my guidance. So I was constantly surrounded by young, inquisitive people who shared this joy of supporting mathematically gifted pupils with me - and still do today.

And do you also focus on the Maths Olympiad as part of this support?
Exactly. Maths Olympiads are not an end in themselves, but they are actually the most suitable means of encouraging pupils to take part in competitions. And the preparation for the Olympiad is actually what helps the pupils. I always say that those who carry out this extracurricular activity become more capable of studying because they learn to acquire knowledge, skills and abilities independently with the help of the support material on offer.

Why is it so important to continue promoting maths outside the classroom?
In my opinion, the subject matter in the classroom is not enough to do well in maths or science studies later on. I would say that without extracurricular activities, it doesn't really work, or at least not as well. This is our incentive to say that anyone who can should come to our maths correspondence circle and take part in the consultations. We also offer a "maths specialist camp". But of course, all our programmes require the support of parents.

As a parent, how do you find out that your child has a talent for maths?
It's really up to the maths teachers to find out. For example, every pupil has the opportunity to take part in the Maths Olympiads or the Kangaroo competitions. It would also be ideal if the school offered a maths club. The school is the real place where a talent for maths should be found.

Dr Helmut König has dedicated his entire life to mathematics. He has led study groups and maths circles, worked at the Technical University of Karl-Marx-Stadt in specialist training for maths teacher students and has always focused on the extracurricular promotion of maths-loving pupils. He not only launched the now international Adam Ries Competition, but also ensured that pupils from all over Germany were able to take part in the Maths Olympiad after the end of the GDR.

How did you manage to extend the Maths Olympiad to the whole of Germany after reunification?
As I was non-partisan in the former GDR, I took the opportunity to speak to the Ministry of Culture. And then, together with the Ministry of Education and Dr Ocholt, I founded the Chemnitz District Committee for the Promotion of Mathematically and Scientifically Talented and Interested Pupils and the Saxony State Committee. From 1991, the Maths Olympiads were then held throughout Germany. This led to the fourth stage, the national finals, which are held every year for three days in a different German city.

Has the Maths Olympiad changed over time?
I would say no. The requirements are still the same today as they were in the past. We haven't lost anything in terms of the difficulty of the tasks, even at national level. Of course, we have to adapt to new circumstances at regional level - for example, there used to be more hours per week in maths at schools.

What did it mean to you that the national final of the Maths Olympiad was held in Chemnitz in 2019?
That was fabulous for me. The final in Chemnitz was also considered by many to be one of the most enjoyable, i.e. one of the best-organised finals.

How did you start the Adam Ries competition?
In the 1960s, I kept saying that we still needed a competition for Year 5 pupils at district level, as the Olympiad only started from Year 7 and for early starters from Year 6. But there was nothing for the fifth-graders. That was also the time when people wanted to honour famous people. And there was the question of how we could honour Adam Ries, so I suggested the competition. It was supposed to be a kind of preparatory Maths Olympiad. I left the organisation of the competition a few years ago, but I was delighted that it was expanded into a four-country competition and I am sure that the Adam Ries competition will always take place.

How do you feel after being awarded the Saxon Order of Merit on 6 July?
I was amazed because I can't imagine who nominated me for this honour. I was really very surprised.

How do you feel about Chemnitz being European Capital of Culture 2025?
I was delighted when I heard about winning the title. Perhaps our successes in maths also played a small part in this.