Hans Fischer

Hans Fischer was born on 27 July 1881 in Hoechst, Germany.

His father, Dr Eugen Fischer, was director of the Kalle & Co factory, and a lecturer at Stuttgart University of Technology.

Hans Fischer studied chemistry and medicine at the same time, first at the University of Lausanne, then at Marburg.

He obtained his degree in chemistry in 1904, and his degree in medicine two years later. In 1908, he was appointed M.D. at the University of Munich. He then embarked on an academic career that took him from Munich to Vienna, via Berlin and Innsbruck. Finally, from 1921 until his death, he held the post of professor of organic chemistry at Munich's Technische Hochschule.

His scientific activity focused mainly on the study of blood, bile and leaf pigments, as well as the chemistry of pyrrol, with the aim of synthesising natural pyrrol pigments.

Most of his numerous articles were published in the "Liebigs Annalen der Chemie" and in the "Hoppe-Seylers Zeitschrift für physiologische Chemie".

In recognition of his work, Hans Fischer was appointed "Geheimer Regierungsrat" in 1925. In 1929 he was awarded the "Liebig Memorial Medal" in 1930 the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and in 1937 the "Davy Medal". Harvard University awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1936.

Hans Fischer died on 31 March 1945 in Munich.