Tyndall left the engineering firm and, after a short spell as a teacher, went to the University of Marburg to study chemistry. Hirst visited Tyndall in Germany in August 1949 but he had to return home earlier than planned on the news that his mother had died.
Tyndall kaliwa ang engineering firm at, pagkatapos ng isang maikling oras ng paggawa bilang isang guro, nagpunta sa University of Marburg sa pag-aaral kimika. Hirst binisita Tyndall sa Alemanya sa Agosto 1949 ngunit niya upang bumalik sa bahay mas maaga kaysa sa plano sa balita na ang kanyang ina ay namatay.