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Adolf von Baeyer

German organic chemist, pioneer of synthetic dyes and cyclic-compound chemistry, and sole recipient of the 1905 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Germany

Nobel Foundation archive / Wikimedia CommonsSourcePublic Domain

Biography

Adolf von Baeyer (1835–1917) was a German organic chemist born in Berlin, Prussia, who pioneered work in synthetic dyes and cyclic-compound chemistry. In 1905, Baeyer was the sole recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, an award that recognized his work on organic dyes and hydroaromatic compounds. This made him the first recipient of the Chemistry Nobel Prize who meets Jewish World Records eligibility criteria, which include partial Jewish descent. Sources that compile lists of Jewish Nobel laureates, such as JINFO, identify Baeyer as the first winner in the Chemistry category, noting that his mother was Jewish. The laureates from 1901 to 1904 do not appear in this qualifying chronology. Baeyer passed away in Starnberg, Bavaria, in 1917.

Records held by Adolf von Baeyer

Portrait of 1905 Nobel chemistry laureate Adolf von Baeyer.

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Awards · Nobel PrizeFirst

First Jewish Recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Record holder

Adolf von Baeyer

Record value

10 December 1905

German chemist Adolf von Baeyer became the first Jewish recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1905. The prize was awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, for his significant work on organic dyes and hydroaromatic compounds. According to official Nobel Prize records, Baeyer was the sole laureate for Chemistry in that year, highlighting the individual importance of his scientific contributions. The record is valued as "Nobel Prize in Chemistry — 1905."

Country represented: Germany
Achievement location: Stockholm, Sweden
Achievement date: 1905

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