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arXiv · 2506.12850

The Amazing Journey of Lars Ahlfors' Fields Medal

Frank Wang
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Abstract

This is the story of the first Fields Medal awarded to Lars Ahlfors. It was smuggled out of Finland in 1944, pawned in Sweden during World War II, and returned to Helsinki in 2004. This article is based on an interview with Ahlfors' second daughter Vanessa Gruen, and established biographical sources.

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Frank Wang. 2025-06-15. The Amazing Journey of Lars Ahlfors' Fields Medal. https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.12850

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