The k 0 -standardization of NAA: germs, launch, breakthrough—on stage and in the wings

An account is given of the historical development of the k0-standardization of neutron activation analysis: starting from its first germs, logically leading to its launch and subsequently to its breakthrough. Emphasis is put on the pioneering role, both in the wings and on stage, of the two key laboratories involved in this process, namely the nuclear-analytical departments of the KFKI (Central Research Institute for Physics, Budapest, Hungary) and the INW (Institute for Nuclear Sciences, Gent, Belgium).