A critical review of papers concerning the invention of the "Czochralski method" is presented. It is beyond all doubt that this method of pulling single crystals from the melt should be named after the Polish scientist, chemist and metallurgist J. Czochralski. The recent curious supposition by H.J. Scheel to change the name of this method should be ruled out as being without scientific value and in contradiction to historical data. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.