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Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize

The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is the most important research award in Germany. The prize, awarded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG), is endowed with up to 2.5 million euros.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Kaufmann
The DFG honours Thomas Kaufmann, Chair of Church History, as one of the "internationally most important researchers on the Reformation". The DFG statement says that Kaufmann's research on the ecclesiastical history of the Reformation and the Confessional Era has altered the perception of Martin Luther, the complex world-historical movement that is the Reformation and the formation of the confessional churches. Moreover, he brought the Reformation era to the attention of a broad public audience without abbreviating it anachronistically.
(Press release DFG)
(Press release University of Göttingen)
Prof. Dr. Claus Ropers
The DFG recognised Claus Ropers of the IV. Institute of Physics for his leading research role in the field of time-resolved electron microscopy, emphasizing his success in manipulating the quantum state of free electrons and controlling photoemission from sharp metal tips using terahertz and optical fields. The jury also highlighted his research on the generation of extreme ultraviolet radiation on plasmonic nanostructures.
(Press release DFG)
(Press release University of Göttingen)
Prof. Dr. Lutz Ackermann
The DFG honours Lutz Ackermann from the Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry for his outstanding achievements in the field of organic chemistry, especially for the development of new and resource-saving production pathways for important chemical products such as active ingredients, agrochemicals and fine chemicals. Mr Ackermann is one of the globally most frequently cited scientists in his field in his field.
(Press release DFG)
(Press release University of Göttingen)
Prof. Dr. Tobias Moser
The DFG honours Tobias Moser from the Institute of Auditory Neuroscience at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) for his outstanding and innovative contributions to cellular and integrative neuroscience. By combining sophisticated basic research with translational approaches and clinical practice, Moser has contributed significantly to a better understanding of synaptic processes in the inner ear and thus the basis of hearing.
(Press release DFG)
Prof. Dr. Stefan Treue
The DFG honours Stefan Treue for his work in the field of neurobiological attention research. Not only was he able to show that attention influences movement processing as well as the perception and processing of sensory stimuli, but he also revealed extent to which this occurs. The results of his work have had a trend-setting influence on many disciplines of brain research. Treue is director of the German Primate Centre (DPZ) and head of the "Cognitive Neuroscience" department. At the same time, he holds a joint professorship of two subjects at the Faculty of Biology at the University of Göttingen.
(Press release DFG)
(Press release University of Göttingen)
Prof. Dr. Heinrich Detering
The DFG honours Heinrich Detering of the Department of German Philology for enriching the cultural-historical discussions of recent years far beyond the subject-specific community. As a literary scholar, Detering is primarily concerned with German and Scandinavian literature since the 18th century. He traces both fundamental and hitherto unnoticed connections.
(Press release DFG)
(Press release University of Göttingen)
2004: Prof. Dr. Konrad Samwer, I. Physical Institute
1998: Prof. Dr. Annette Zippelius, Institute for Theoretical Physics
1997: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wörner, Geoscience Center, Department of Geochemistry
1996: Prof. Dr. Joachim Reitner, Geoscience Center, Department of Geobiology
1994: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Christensen, Institute for Geophysics
1988: Prof. Dr. Herbert Roesky, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry
1988: Prof. Dr. George M. Sheldrick, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry
2019: Dr. Melina Schuh, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
2019: Prof. Dr. Ayelet Shachar, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity
2016: Prof. Dr. Marina Rodnina, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
2008: Prof. Dr. Stefan Hell, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
2000: Prof. Dr. Reinhard Jahn, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
1994: Prof. Dr. Peter Gruss, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
1987: Prof. Dr. Erwin Neher, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
1987: Prof. Dr. Bert Sakmann, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
1986: Prof. Dr. Fritz P. Schäfer, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry