In 1906, nuclear physicist Lise Meitner became the second woman in the history of the University of Vienna to earn her doctorate in physics, majoring in heat conduction in inhomogeneous materials. After an unsuccessful application to Marie Curie, Meitner worked at the Institute for Theoretical Physics in Vienna and moved to Berlin in 1907.
There she began to collaborate with Otto Hahn. Together they discovered radioactive recoil and various radioactive nuclides in 1909. In 1918 Meitner became head of the physical-radioactive department of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Chemistry. In 1926 she was appointed to the Berlin University. In 1933 her teaching license was revoked, and in 1938 she had to flee. She continued her research in Sweden. In 1939, Meitner developed the theoretical basis of nuclear fission; she also coined the term nuclear fission.
It was Lise Meitner’s calculations that laid the foundation for the development of nuclear weapons as well as the use of atomic energy. As a pacifist, however, she refused to accept research contracts for the construction of the bomb.
In addition, an article by Dr. Lore Sexl: https://scienceblog.at/lise-meitner-%E2%80%93-weltber%C3%BChmte-kernphysikerin-aus-wien#.