Joachim Sauer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joachim Sauer
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Joachim Sauer at the Royal Society admissions day in London, July 2018
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| Born | 19 April 1949 Hosena, Saxony, Germany
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| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Foreign Member of the Royal Society (2018) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Quantum chemistry |
| Institutions | Humboldt University of Berlin |
Joachim Sauer is a German scientist who studies chemistry. He was born on April 19, 1949. He is a professor who taught physical and theoretical chemistry at the Humboldt University of Berlin. He is also known as the husband of Angela Merkel, who used to be the leader of Germany.
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Early Life and School
Joachim Sauer grew up in a small town called Hosena in Germany. He had a twin sister and an older brother. His father worked as an insurance representative. Joachim was a very good student in school.
His Career as a Scientist
Joachim Sauer studied chemistry at the Humboldt University of Berlin from 1967 to 1972. He earned his doctorate degree in chemistry in 1974. After that, he continued his research there.
In 1977, he joined a top science institute in East Germany. This was the Academy of Sciences, Central Institute of Physical Chemistry in Berlin.
For a short time around 1990, he worked for a company in California. He was a deputy technical director there. He continued to advise the company until 2002.
In 1992, he joined the Max Planck Society. He became the head of their Quantum Chemistry Group in Berlin. A year later, in 1993, he became a full professor at the Humboldt University of Berlin. He stopped teaching full-time in 2017. However, he still works with the university as a senior research fellow.
What He Researches
Joachim Sauer is an active research scientist. He works in an area called quantum chemistry. This field uses computers to understand how tiny particles like atoms and molecules behave.
His research helps scientists understand how some special materials work. These materials are called catalysts. Catalysts help chemical reactions happen faster. He studied materials like zeolites. He also helped understand how to read special scientific images called NMR spectra.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Joachim Sauer has received many awards for his scientific work. Here are some of them:
- 1991: Chemistry Prize from the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities
- 1995: Became a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
- 2007: Became a member of the Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
- 2010: Received the Liebig Medal
- 2013: Was given an honorary Doctor of Science degree from University College London
- 2018: Became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society
- 2019: Received the Schrödinger Medal
His Personal Life
Joachim Sauer has two sons, Daniel and Adrian, from an earlier marriage.
On December 30, 1998, he married Angela Merkel. She is also a scientist with a degree in physics. Later, Angela Merkel became the leader of Germany. She was the first woman to hold this important position.
Because his wife was a famous politician, Joachim Sauer received a lot of media attention. This is unusual for a scientist. He has said many times that he does not like being in the public eye.
During his wife's election campaign in 2005, he stayed out of the spotlight. He did not give interviews unless they were about his science. He is known for loving the music of Richard Wagner. He often attended the Bayreuth Festival, which is an opera festival in Germany.
Even when his wife was sworn in as Chancellor, Joachim Sauer was not there in person. He reportedly watched the event briefly on TV from his chemistry lab at the university.
See also
In Spanish: Joachim Sauer para niños
