On May 6, 2025, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) hosted an honorary colloquium in celebration of Prof. Hubert Schmidbaur’s 90th birthday, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the field of inorganic chemistry. The event, held under the auspices of the Munich Chemical Society (MChG) and chaired by Prof. Thomas Fässler, attracted over 100 attendees from academia and research institutions.

The scientific program featured two distinguished speakers: Prof. Dr. Pekka Pyykkö (University of Helsinki) and Prof. Dr. Norbert Mitzel (University of Bielefeld), both of whom highlighted the profound influence of Prof. Schmidbaur’s pioneering work in organometallic and cluster chemistry. Their lectures offered deep insights into the legacy and ongoing relevance of his research.

A highlight of the event was the presentation of Prof. Schmidbaur’s autobiography, introduced by Dr. Eva Wille as part of the Lives in Chemistry series. The colloquium also marked the ceremonial handover of a dedicated issue of the Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie (ZAAC), containing numerous international contributions published in honor of Prof. Schmidbaur’s milestone birthday.

Photo: Dr. Annemieke IJpenberg / TUM