Here you will find our current press releases. Links to the press releases from previous years can be found in the column on the left. (If you are surfing with a mobile device, in the menu at the top right.)
Overcoming boundaries together and shaping the future of chemistry – under this guiding principle, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) invites you to the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (SFC) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) from September 29 to October 1, 2025. The redesigned event offers chemists a unique platform for interdisciplinary exchange, international networking, and pioneering ideas.
"Thinking across borders" is the motto of the Science Forum Chemistry 2025 – and that's precisely what it's all about: overcoming disciplinary, institutional, and national boundaries and tackling the major challenges of chemistry together. A top-class program of plenary lectures, sessions, and exciting panel discussions creates the ideal setting for lively debates and fruitful collaborations.
Highlights include plenary lectures by internationally renowned scientists such as Dr. Josep Cornella from the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Professor Dr. Eva Hevia from the University of Bern, Switzerland, Professor Dr. Anat Milo from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, and Professor Dr. Helma Wennemers from ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Numerous GDCh Divisions will enrich the program with (sometimes interdisciplinary) sessions in which they offer exclusive insights into their current research. A joint session of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the GDCh will focus on sustainability in chemistry. The GDCh's newly developed sustainability strategy will also be presented.
As a special extra, the 200th anniversary of KIT offers an opportunity to look back on a long tradition of excellent science and at the same time to set the course for a promising future.
In keeping with the theme of the event, the GDCh will consolidate or establish several international collaborations within the framework of the SFC. While the Memorandum of Understanding with the ACS and the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS) will be renewed, the signing of agreements with the European sister societies, the Austrian Chemical Society (GÖCH) and the Societá Chimica Italiana (SCI, Italian Chemical Society), is also on the agenda.
Another highlight of the event is the celebratory awards dinner, where outstanding personalities in chemistry are honored for their groundbreaking research achievements. Prestigious awards, such as the Karl Ziegler Award, endowed with 50,000 euros, are presented to the awardee in a festive setting. The dinner provides a worthy occasion to celebrate the achievements of the scientists and, at the same time, offers the opportunity for personal encounters and discussions. During the opening ceremony, former GDCh President Professor Dr. Barbara Albert, University of Duisburg-Essen, receives special recognition. She is awarded honorary membership of the GDCh for her services to chemistry in general and the GDCh in particular.
In addition to focusing on the major issues of our time, the SFC focuses on personal exchange and individual support. In interactive formats, young talents engage in conversation with award winners and editors of GDCh journals . In an accompanying exhibition, companies and publishers invite participants to participate in the dialogue.
With the SFC 2025, the GDCh aims to establish a new event format that reflects chemistry in all its breadth and relevance. Through the close integration of science, industry, and society, the Conference provides important impetus for sustainable and responsible science.
Registration for the Science Forum Chemistry 2025 will be open from the beginning of May. Further information on the program and registration can be found at www.gdch.science.
With over 28,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research, and teaching, as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports education in schools and universities, as well as continuous professional development for professional and Career.
Image material for download:
06/25
April 23, 2025
The global sustainability goals can only be achieved with significant support from the chemistry industry. Whether it's energy generation, the circular economy, or the reduction of greenhouse gases – chemistry provides essential solutions. The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is implementing a comprehensive sustainability strategy and thus contributing to solutions.
"As the largest chemical science society in the EU, we are aware of the importance of sustainable science, embrace our responsibility, and lead by example," emphasizes GDCh President Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dehnen. "Together with our members and the expertise of our Divisions , we are advancing sustainability and contributing to a future worth living."
As part of the “Sustainability Strategy 2030”, the GDCh aims to:
The sustainability strategy was developed by a specially appointed commission in 2024. The GDCh Board followed the commission's recommendations and established the necessary structures to effectively implement the sustainability strategy.
The newly created position of Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) will be held by Prof. Dr. Herwig Buchholz , a recognized expert in this field. Together with a Sustainability Commission composed of knowledgeable and experienced representatives from various Divisions and institutions, he will be responsible for implementing the sustainability strategy. The Commission, together with the CSO, will report directly to the GDCh Executive Committee and form the central element of sustainability governance.
"Our sustainability strategy is based on our core competencies," explains Buchholz. "We leverage our unique network potential and pool relevant knowledge and expertise for sustainable solutions, making this available on sustainability issues. This allows us to demonstrate the key role of chemistry for a sustainable future and make important contributions. Thus, our science makes a decisive contribution to enabling sustainable business. Our sustainability strategy strengthens the future viability of the GDCh and underscores its social importance."
Herwig Buchholz is Managing Partner of the management consultancy ELCH and previously held various management positions at the science and technology group Merck, most recently as Global Head of Corporate Sustainability. He holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Hamburg and is a fellow at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. From 2016 to 2023, he was a member of the German Chemical Society's Executive Board and is involved in voluntary work at several academic and non-profit institutions, including a professorship at the University of Oldenburg.
More information at www.gdch.de/nachhaltigkeit
With over 28,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research, and teaching, as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports education in schools and universities, as well as continuous professional development for professional and Career.
The press release as a PDF document
Image material for download:
Joint press release of the German Mathematical Society (DMV), the German Physical Society (DPG), the German Chemical Society (GDCh), the Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO) and the Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany
This year's Ars legendi Faculty Prize for excellent university teaching in mathematics and the natural sciences goes to Prof. Dr. Benedikt Heuckmann from the University of Münster (Biology), Dr. Sabrina Gensberger-Reigl from the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (Chemistry), Dr. Jörg Härterich from the Ruhr University Bochum (Mathematics) and Dr. Sebastian Schellhammer from the Technical University of Dresden (physics).
The Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences honors researchers who distinguish themselves through outstanding, innovative, and exemplary achievements in teaching, advising, and supporting their students. The award is presented in the categories of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics and is endowed with €5,000 each.
The award awardee were selected by a nine-member jury comprised of representatives from the four disciplines, higher education didactics, and students. The jury was very impressed by the diversity of innovative teaching approaches. They awarded the 2025 Ars legendi Faculty Prize to the following university lecturers:
In the category Biology
Prof. Dr. Benedikt Heuckmann from the University of Münster convinced the jury with his successful integration of subject-specific science and didactics as well as the comprehensive digitalization of his teaching programs for teacher training students, including the programming of computer simulations.
In the category Chemistry
Dr. Sabrina Gensberger-Reigl from FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg supports a smooth transition from university to industry with her two-semester, practice-oriented seminar in the food chemistry university courses . She thus makes a significant contribution to students' career orientation. Project work in small groups fosters important skills.
In the category Mathematics
Dr. Jörg Härterich from Ruhr University Bochum teaches mathematics as a minor and major using the method of measured prelearning. This way, students are familiar with key aspects of the lesson right from the beginning of each lecture. During the in-class phase, there is time for a warm-up in the form of a quiz and various elements of active learning.
In the category physics
Dr. Sebastian Schellhammer from TU Dresden excels at presenting socially relevant physics topics for teacher training students. He deliberately chooses research fields such as climate physics and nanotechnology, where interdisciplinary approaches can be demonstrated. This selection of topics also allows for the communication of broader contexts and enables students to effectively refute false arguments (for example, those related to climate change) using physical knowledge and experiments.
The Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences has been awarded annually since 2014 by the Stifterverband, the Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany, the German Chemical Society, the German Mathematical Society and the German Physical Society.
https://stifterverband.org/ars-legendi-mn
To the award ceremony
Interested parties are cordially invited to the award ceremony for the 2025 Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences. This will take place on April 24, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. at the Langenbeck-Virchow-Haus in Berlin. Please register at berlin@vbio.de.
press contact
Association of Biology, Life Sciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO e. V.)
Kerstin Elbing
T 030 27891918
elbing@vbio.de
Donors' Association
Peggy Groß
T 030 322982-530
peggy.gross@stifterverband.de
Professor Dr. Paola Bertucci, Yale University, New Haven, USA, receives the 2025 Paul Bunge Prize for her book "In the Land of Marvels. Science, Fabricated Realities, and Industrial Espionage in the Age of the Grand Tour". In it, she not only sheds new light on the work of Abbé Nollet, but also on the importance and significance of electrical devices in the 18th century. The award ceremony will take place on March 17 as part of the 2025 Bunsen Conference at the University of Leipzig. The Hans R. Jenemann Foundation Prize is endowed with 7,500 euros and is awarded jointly by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry (DBG). It honors outstanding work on the history of scientific instruments.
Paola Bertucci receives the Paul Bunge Prize for her monograph "In the Land of Marvels. Science, Fabricated Realities, and Industrial Espionage in the Age of the Grand Tour" about Abbé Nollet, an important experimental scientist of the 18th century. The author sheds light on Nollet's little-known trip to Italy in 1749 and his secret mission to investigate automated silk production. Particularly relevant to the Paul Bunge Prize are the chapters on Nollet's research into "miraculous" healings using electrical instruments, which he later exposed as a hoax. Bertucci skillfully links scientific debates about the legitimacy of experimental results with public controversies about electrical healing methods in the 18th century. With her work, she sheds new light on the scientific and public significance of electrical devices in the 18th century.
Paola Bertucci studied physics at the University of Bologna, IT, until 1994 and obtained a master's degree in the history of science from the University of Oxford, UK, in 1997. In 2001 she received her doctorate in the history of science there. From 2001-2008 she was a research assistant at the University of Bologna. In 2005 she was a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Design and Art, Department of Industrial Design, IUAV University of Venice, Italy. From 2008-2014 Bertucci was Assistant Professor and 2015-2022 Associate Professor of the History of Science and Medicine at Yale University, USA. She has held a professorship for the history of science and medicine there since 2023. Bertucci has also been curator of the Department of the History of Science and Technology at the Yale University Museum of Natural History since 2012. Bertucci is active in several professional committees, including President of the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies. She has published numerous publications and has already received several prestigious awards.
The Paul Bunge Prize is considered the most important award in the field of the history of scientific instruments worldwide and is advertised publicly and internationally. The award is decided by the advisory board of the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation, which is supported by the GDCh and the DBG. Hans R. Jenemann (1920–1996), a chemist at Schott Glassworks in Mainz, became known for his contributions to the history of scientific equipment, especially historical scales. He himself founded the foundation in 1992. The prize is named after the Hamburg precision mechanic Paul Bunge (1839–1888), one of the leading designers of laboratory scales for chemical analysis.
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with over 28,000 members. It maintains numerous foundations, such as the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation. The Paul Bunge Prize of the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation is awarded annually, usually alternating between the Bunsen Conference and the lecture conferences of the GDCh Division of History of Chemistry.
The press release as a PDF document
Image material for download:
Around 350 chemists will come together from March 17 to 19 at the Technical University of Braunschweig for the Chemiedozententagung (CDT) 2025. At the event, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will award two prestigious prizes: Dr. Karl Arnold Reuter, Freiburg, will be awarded the Carl Duisberg Plaque and Professor Dr. Christoph Kerzig, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, will receive the Carl-Duisberg Memorial Award. In addition, one young scientist and two young scientists will receive ADUC prizes for establishing an independent research area.
The Chemiedozententagung is organized by the Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) of the GDCh and brings together young academics from all areas of chemistry. Habilitation candidates, junior professors and scholarship holders use the Conference to present their research and to exchange ideas. In addition, for the first time, results from postdocs or planned independent research projects will be presented at the CDT 2025 in short presentations. In addition to scientific lectures, this year's program also includes the founding meeting of the new GDCh Supramolecular Chemistry Working Group . As a special highlight, the team from the GDCh journal Angewandte Chemie is inviting you to a presentation under the motto "Be surprised!" on March 17 at 6:40 p.m. This will be followed by a reception and get-together. In a festive setting during the Conference, the GDCh will also award the Carl Duisberg Plaque and the Carl-Duisberg Memorial Award , and the ADUC will award one young female scientist and two young male scientists with ADUC Prizes.
The Carl Duisberg Plaque, a gold medal, is awarded by the GDCh to individuals who have made a special contribution to the promotion of chemistry and the goals of the GDCh. Dr. Karl Arnold Reuter receives the award for his services to the promotion of scientific creativity in chemistry - in particular for his commitment and dedication to the book series Lives in Chemistry (LiC). The autobiographical series provides insights into the lives and thoughts of outstanding researchers in the mirror of time. An advisory board appointed by the Board of the GDCh Division of History of Chemistry manages the series. Reuter supports the project.
Karl Arnold Reuter, born in 1955, studied chemistry at the Justus Liebig University in Gießen, where he also received his doctorate in 1985. After a postdoc stay at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA, he began his industrial career at BENCKISER and at Sandoz Agro, in Basel, Switzerland, and in St. Pierre La Garenne, France. In 1993 he founded his company Reuter Chemische Apparatebau in Freiburg. He develops innovative separation processes for the resolution of racemates and the purification of organic substance mixtures and employs around 90 people.
The Carl-Duisberg Memorial Award, worth 7,500 euros, has been awarded since 1936 to young university lecturers who work at a German university or, as a German, at a foreign university, who do not yet hold a W2/W3 or comparable position and are under 40 years of age. This year, Professor Dr. Christoph Kerzig, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, receives the award for his outstanding research in the field of photochemistry. His work is characterized by highly innovative approaches to the use of light energy, particularly in the field of elucidating the mechanisms of photochemical reactions but also upconversion and photoredox catalysis. Kerzig has made significant contributions to the research of light-driven reactions that have the potential to replace fossil raw materials and thus contribute to more sustainable chemistry. His work is making a significant contribution to developing chemistry towards an environmentally friendly and resource-saving science. Kerzig convinced the selection committee not only with his research and his numerous high-ranking publications, but also with his committed teaching and the promotion of young scientists.
Christoph Kerzig, born in 1987, studied chemistry at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). In 2017, he completed his doctorate there with summa cum laude. After postdoc stays in Halle Wittenberg, the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and the University of Basel, Switzerland, he moved to the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz as a junior professor in 2020. He has been Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Photochemistry there since 2024. He has already received numerous awards for his research, including one of the ADUC Prizes in 2023.
As part of the Conference, the ADUC will also award one young scientist and two young scientists with ADUC prizes. Assistant Professor Dr. Nina Hartrampf, University of Zurich, Switzerland, will receive an ADUC prize for her stimulating approaches in the field of preparative peptide research, in particular the linking of modern flow-chemical synthesis methods with biosynthesis steps in the generation of lasso peptides. Dr. John Molloy, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces Potsdam and Free University of Berlin, will also be honored in recognition of his groundbreaking research on the use of organoboron compounds to generate structural complexity using photocatalytic strategies. Junior Professor Dr. Johannes Wahl, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, will receive an ADUC prize in recognition of his creative contributions to the development of stereoselective synthesis methods, especially through the skillful implementation of small ring compounds using new catalytic processes.
Further information about the Conference can be found at www.gdch.de/cdt2025
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with over 28,000 members. It has 27 Divisions and awards numerous prizes for special achievements in chemical research. The long-established GDCh Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) awards prizes each year to up to three young scientists (during habilitation, scholarship or junior professorship) for establishing an independent research area.
The press release as a PDF document
Image material for download:
The spring symposium of the JCF (Young Chemistry Forum) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will take place from March 12 to 15 in the bicycle city of Münster under the motto "Cycling Chemistry". The Conference is aimed at the young chemistry community at home and abroad. Around 300 scientists are expected. In addition to lectures, the program also includes workshops, an industrial exhibition and a poster session. Other highlights are the awarding of the Carl Roth Prize and the Dres. Volker and Elke Münch Prize.
For 27 years now, the JCF Spring Symposium has been one of the largest conferences in Europe by and for young researchers. The event is organized annually by changing regional forums of the JCF, the junior research organization of the GDCh. In 2025, the Münster, Essen-Duisburg and Dortmund regional forums took over the organization and jointly created a diverse program. In addition to internationally renowned scientists, junior group leaders and young researchers in particular have the opportunity to speak at the event.
The motto "Cycling Chemistry" not only refers to the venue, but also alludes to the topics of recycling and battery cycling - the cyclical recharging of batteries. It thus underscores the importance of chemistry for a sustainable future and the role of young scientists in developing innovative solutions. This is also reflected in the high-caliber scientific program. The plenary speakers include Professor Dr. Klaus Kümmerer, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Professor Dr. Saiful Islam, University of Oxford, UK, Professor Dr. Sebastian Hasenstab-Riedel, Free University of Berlin, Professor Dr. Fikile R. Brushett, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA, Professor Dr. Lena Daumann, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, and Professor Dr. Viktoria Däschlein-Gessner, Ruhr University Bochum. In addition, various workshops are offered and the diverse supporting program (including a diversity lunch) offers opportunities for informal networking. From March 12 to 14, the GDCh Career Service will have a stand on site and answer questions about Career and starting a career.
The Dres. Volker and Elke Münch Prize will be awarded on March 15th. The prize, from the foundation of the same name based at the GDCh, is endowed with 7000 euros and is given to young inventors who have made a pioneering invention in the field of chemistry or chemical process engineering. The prize money will be used to support a patent application. This year the award goes to the BionicFuel team consisting of Dr. Pascal R. Böwer, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Dr. Melanie Walther, University of Bremen, and Tim M. Thiedemann, also from Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. They developed a concept for a new purification technology for fermentation processes and proved its feasibility experimentally. Their innovative technology is based on biotechnological processes and uses organic waste as the starting material. With it, the team wants to establish an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based processes that takes both social and ecological aspects into account.
The Carl-Roth Award will also be awarded on March 15. The GDCh awards the prize, worth 5,000 euros, to young chemists who develop resource-saving synthesis routes or use chemicals innovatively. The prize is financed by Carl Roth GmbH & Co. KG, which also contributes a further 3,000 euros in the form of a voucher. This year, Anna F. Tiefel and Maximilian Wohlgemuth share the prize. Tiefel receives the award for her scientific work at the University of Regensburg in the field of photocatalysis - in particular on photoinduced nucleophilic substitution reactions on allylic selenides. Wohlgemuth is being honored for his work at the Ruhr University Bochum on mechanochemistry - an innovative approach to carrying out chemical reactions in ball mills completely without solvents and external heat.
On March 15, Dr. Daniel Kowalczyk, University of Ulm, will also receive the FAIR4Chem Award for the dataset he published from chemical research, which meets the FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) and thus makes a significant contribution to increasing transparency in research. The prize is awarded by the NFDI4Chem consortium, in which the GDCh is involved, and supported by the Chemical Industry Fund.
Further information can be found at https://symposium.jcf.io.
With around 28,000 members, the German Chemical Society is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific findings. The GDCh supports the creation of networks, transdisciplinary and international cooperation and continuous education and training in schools, universities and in the professional environment. The GDCh has 27 Divisions as well as 60 local sections and regional forums of the JCF (Young Chemistry Forum) at almost all university locations. The JCF forms a platform for around 10,000 young members of the GDCh nationwide.
The press release as a PDF document
Image material for download:
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is awarding Associate Professor Dr. Kathrin Breuker, University of Innsbruck, the Fresenius Award. She will receive the award, which includes a gold medal and prize money of 7,500 euros, for special services to analytical chemistry. With her scientific work, Breuker provides fundamental insights into the properties of biomacromolecules in the gas phase. She will receive the award on March 10 as part of ANAKON 2025 in Leipzig. The GDCh Division of Analytical Chemistry, which is organizing the Conference , and its working groups will also honor scientists on site.
Kathrin Breuker receives the Fresenius Award in particular for her achievements in the field of biomolecular mass spectrometry, a method for determining the mass of biomolecules. She developed innovative methods for studying complex molecular systems. These include native protein structures, the folding and unfolding of proteins in the gas phase, and the dissociation (decay) of proteins and nucleic acids (RNA). To do this, Breuker used high-resolution mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS, a technique for precise mass determination) and various fragmentation methods that break molecules down into smaller parts. Her work provides fundamental insights into the properties of biomacromolecules in the gas phase.
In addition, Breuker is involved in scientific committees, especially in the German Society for Mass Spectrometry (DGMS), and actively builds international networks. She is the jury chair for the "Mass Spectrometry in the Life Sciences" award and a member of the jury for the DGMS Mattauch-Herzog Prize.
Kathrin Breuker graduated in physics from the University of Münster in 1994. She then moved to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, where she received her doctorate in 1999. After postdoc stays at Cornell University, Ithaca, USA, and in Innsbruck, Austria, she began working as a research group leader at the University of Innsbruck in 2002. After obtaining her Venia Docendi in Biophysical Chemistry, she worked there as an assistant professor from 2014. Breuker has been an Associate Professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Innsbruck since 2019. Her research has already received several awards and funding.
Other awards ceremonies:
As part of ANAKON, the GDCh Division of Analytical Chemistry and two of its working groups also present several awards:
Further information about the Conference can be found at www.gdch.de/anakon2025
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with over 28,000 members. It has 27 Divisions, including the Division of Analytical Chemistry founded in 1951 with over 2,400 members. The Division gives analytical chemistry a strong voice in science, business, politics and the public and promotes training in analytical chemistry. Intensive, relevant work is carried out in the nine working groups and in the Industry Forum Analytics .
The press release as a PDF document
Image material for download:
Dr. Karin J. Schmitz
Head of GDCh-
public relations
pr@gdch.de
Tel. 069 / 7917-493
If you would like to be included in the e-mail distribution list of the Chemicals Press Service, please write an e-mail to GDCh Public Relations, pr@gdch.de
The Science Information Service (idw) offers expert mediation for journalists.
The Science Media Center Germany provides well-founded dossiers with background information and expert opinions on current scientific topics.
This page has been machine translated. If you have any feedback or comments please feel free to contact us. 
last modified: 29.04.2025 11:59 H from N/A
