List of German Nobel laureates explained

Germany is currently the nation with the 3rd most Nobel Prize winners: 2nd most in the category of physics and chemistry,[1] 3rd most in physiology or medicine[2] and 4th most in literature. Overall there are 115 German nobel price laureates.

NameYearLifespanAchievementsImage
Gustav Stresemann19261878–1929Reconciliation with France to ensure peace in Europe
Ludwig Quidde19271858–1941Organization of peace conferences
Carl von Ossietzky19351889–1938Commitment against German militarism as editor of Weltbühne
Willy Brandt19711913–1992Ostpolitik
NameYearLifespanAchievementsImage
Theodor Mommsen19021817–1903The History of Rome
Rudolf Eucken19081846–1926"for serious seeking after truth, penetrating thought, breadth and warmth of presentation, with which he has represented and developed an ideal worldview in numerous works"
Paul Heyse19101830–1914his fictional works
Gerhart Hauptmann19121862–1946"for his fruitful and versatile work in the realm of dramatic poetry"
Thomas Mann19291875–1955Buddenbrooks
Hermann Hesse19461877–1962"for his work imbued with profound immersion that developed ever more boldly and incisively, revealing the ideals of classical humanism along with a high artistic style"
Nelly Sachs19661891–1970"for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic works that interpret the fate of Israel with moving strength"
Heinrich Böll19721917–1985Complete works
Günter Grass19991927–2015Life's work
Herta Müller2009
  • 1953
Complete works
NameYearLifespanAchievementsImage
Emil Fischer19021852–1919Research on sugar and purine groups
Adolf von Baeyer19051835–1917Work on organic dyes and hydroaromatic compounds
Eduard Buchner19071860–1917Discovery of cell-free fermentation
Wilhelm Ostwald19091853–1932Work on Catalysis
Otto Wallach19101847–1931Research in the field of cyclic hydrocarbons
Richard Willstätter19151872–1942Research on chlorophyll
Fritz Haber19181868–1934Development of a process for producing Ammonia
Walther Nernst19201864–1941Research on Thermochemistry
Heinrich Otto Wieland19271877–1957Research on Bile Acids
Adolf Windaus19281876–1959"for merits regarding the research on the structure of sterines and their relationship with vitamins"
Hans von Euler-Chelpin19291873–1964"for research on sugar fermentation and the contribution of enzymes to this process"
Hans Fischer19301881–1945Hemin synthesis
Friedrich Bergius19311884–1949"for contributions to the discovery and development of chemical high-pressure processes"
Carl Bosch19311874–1940Development of chemical high-pressure processes
Richard Kuhn19381900–1967"for his work on carotenoids and vitamins"
Adolf Butenandt19391903–1995Research on Steroid Hormones
Otto Hahn19441879–1968"for his discovery of the fission of heavy atomic nuclei"
Otto Diels19501876–1954Discovery of the Diels-Alder Reaction
Kurt Alder19501902–1958Discovery of the Diels-Alder Reaction
Hermann Staudinger19531881–1965Founding of Polymer Chemistry
Karl Ziegler19631898–1973Discoveries in the field of Polymers
Manfred Eigen19671927–2019Measurement of the rates of fast chemical reactions
Gerhard Herzberg19711904–1999"for his contributions to the knowledge of the electronic structure and geometry of molecules, especially free radicals"
Ernst Otto Fischer19731917–2007Research on organometallic sandwich complexes
Georg Wittig19791897–1987Wittig Reaction
Deisenhofer1988
  • 1943
"for the investigation of the three-dimensional structure of the reaction center of Photosynthesis in a purple bacterium"
Robert Huber1988
  • 1937
"for the investigation of the three-dimensional structure of the reaction center of Photosynthesis in a purple bacterium"
Hartmut Michel1988
  • 1948
"for the investigation of the three-dimensional structure of the reaction center of Photosynthesis in a purple bacterium"
Gerhard Ertl2007
  • 1936
"for studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces"
Stefan Hell2014
  • 1962
"for the development of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy"
Joachim Frank2017
  • 1940
"for the development of Cryo-Electron Microscopy for high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules"
Benjamin List2021
  • 1968
"for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis to accelerate chemical reactions"
NameYearLifespanAchievementsImage
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen19011845–1923Discovery of X-Rays
Philipp Lenard19051862–1947Research in solid state and atomic physics
Ferdinand Braun19091850–1918Contribution to the development of wireless Telegraphy
Wilhelm Wien19111864–1928Research on Thermal Radiation
Max von Laue19141879–1960Diffraction of X-rays by crystals
Max Planck19181858–1947Discovery of the Planck constant
Johannes Stark19191874–1957Discovery of the optical Doppler Effect and the Stark Effect
Albert Einstein19211879–1955"for his contributions to theoretical physics, especially for his discovery of the law of the Photoelectric Effect"
James Franck19251882–1964Confirmation of the Bohr Atom Model
Gustav Hertz19251887–1975Confirmation of the Bohr Atom Model
Werner Heisenberg19321901–1976Founding of Quantum Mechanics
Max Born19541882–1970Fundamental research in quantum mechanics
Walther Bothe19541891–1957Development of the Coincidence Method
Rudolf Mößbauer19611929–2011Discovery of the Mößbauer Effect
J. Hans D. Jensen19631907–1973Development of the Shell Model of atomic nuclei
Maria Goeppert-Mayer19631906–1972Development of the Shell Model of atomic nuclei
Klaus von Klitzing1985
  • 1943
Discovery of the Quantized Hall Effect
Gerd Binnig1986
  • 1947
Development of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Ernst Ruska19861906–1988Invention of the Electron Microscope
Johannes Georg Bednorz1987
  • 1950
Discovery of ceramic High-Temperature Superconductors
Wolfgang Paul19891913–1993Development of the ion trap (Paul Trap)
Hans Georg Dehmelt19891922–2017Development of the Ion Trap
Horst Ludwig Störmer1998
  • 1949
"for the discovery of a new type of quantum fluid with fractionally charged excitations"
Herbert Kroemer20001928–2024Development of semiconductor heterostructures for high-speed and optoelectronics
Wolfgang Ketterle2001
  • 1957
Generation of the Bose-Einstein Condensate
Theodor W. Hänsch2005
  • 1941
Development of the Frequency Comb in connection with his other achievements
Peter Grünberg20071939–2018"for the discovery of Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR)"
Reinhard Genzel2020
  • 1952
"for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the center of our galaxy"
Klaus Hasselmann2021
  • 1931
"for groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of complex physical systems", specifically
NameYearLifespanAchievementsImage
Emil Behring19011854–1907Work on serum therapy
Robert Koch19051843–1910Discovery of the pathogens of anthrax, tuberculosis, and cholera
Paul Ehrlich19081854–1915Foundation of immunology
Albrecht Kossel19101853–1927"in recognition of his contributions to the knowledge of cell chemistry through his work on proteins, including the nuclear substances"
Otto Fritz Meyerhof19221884–1951Research on metabolism in muscle
Otto Heinrich Warburg19311883–1970Research on respiratory ferment
Hans Spemann19351869–1941Discovery of the organizer effect and artificial cloning of organisms with Hilde Mangold
Otto Loewi19361873–1961"for discoveries in the chemical transmission of nerve impulses"
Gerhard Domagk19391895–1964Discovery of the antibacterial effects of the sulfonamide Prontosil
Ernst Boris Chain19451906–1979Discovery of Penicillin
Hans Adolf Krebs19531900–1981Discovery of the Citric Acid Cycle
Werner Forßmann19561904–1979"for discoveries on cardiac catheterization and pathological changes in the circulatory system"
Feodor Lynen19641911–1979Research on the regulation of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism
Konrad Bloch19641912–2000Research on the regulation of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism
Max Delbrück19691906–1981Foundation of modern molecular biology and genetics
Bernard Katz19701911–2003Work on the quantized form of synaptic transmission
Karl von Frisch19731886–1982"discoveries regarding the organization and triggering of individual and social behavior patterns"
Georges J. F. Köhler19841946–1995Research on the immune system and monoclonal antibodies
Erwin Neher1991
  • 1944
Discoveries on the function of individual ion channels in cells
Bert Sakmann1991
  • 1942
"for the development of a method for the direct detection of ion channels in cell membranes for the study of signal transmission within and between cells"
Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard1995
  • 1942
Research on the genetic control of early embryonic development
Günter Blobel19991936–2018"for the discovery of signals embedded in proteins that control their transport and localization within the cell"
Harald zur Hausen20081936–2023Research on human papillomavirus
Thomas Südhof2013
  • 1955
Research on the transport system of cells

Notes and References

  1. https://www.statista.com/statistics/262895/nobel-prize-laureates-for-chemistry-by-nationality-since-1901/
  2. https://www.statista.com/statistics/262896/nobel-prize-laureates-in-medicine-by-nationality/