Prof. Akihiro Kanamori (Boston University)

On the occasion of the naming of Ernst-Zermelo-Strasse in Freiburg, Zermelo's fundamental and transformative
work in set theory is commemoratively brought to the fore in celebration.
Zermelo was an inventive mathematician who also worked throughout in applied mathematics, and we mention this well, in connection with several continuing uses of his name. The overall synopsis:

Zermelo made explicit the Axiom of Choice,
and with it established the Well-Ordering Theorem, bringing in a pivotal proof that can be seen as a new technique in
mathematics. Then he made explicit the now basic Zermelo axiomatization which initiated the current, abstract
set theory. During his time in Freiburg, he initiated the current cumulative hierarchy view of set theory, which
now provides the basic heuristic for set theory with the iterative conception of set.

In concluding remarks,  we briefly describe the vicissitudes of his last years in Freiburg both in set theory and at the Institute.