Born April 18, 1948 in the city of Kelheim (Bavaria) as son of the teacher Ferdinand Herrmann and his wife Maria Herrmann.
| 1967 | Visit of high-school (mathematics major), final examination in 1967 ("excellent") | |
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| 1967 - 1970 | Study of chemistry at Technische Hochschule München, Fellow of the scholarship body of the German Catholic Episcopate (Cusanuswerk), final examination after 6 semesters ("excellent") . | |
| 1970 - 1971 | Diploma thesis supervised by Professor Ernst Otto Fischer at Technische Hochschule München on PH3-complexes of transition metals | |
| 1973 | Ph.D. ("excellent") at the Universität Regensburg (07/26/1973) supervised by Professor Henri Brunner on "Optically Active Transition Metal Complexes with Square-Pyramidal Geometry") | |
| 1975 - 1976 | Research Fellow of Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in the laboratory of Professor P. S. Skell (Pennsylvania State University/USA) | |
| 1978 | "Habilitation" on "Organometallic Syntheses with Diazoalkanes" at the Universität Regensburg | |
| 1979 | Declined offer from Pennsylvania State University/USA | |
| 1979 | Professor at the Universität Regensburg, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (05/15/1979) | |
| 1982 | Chair Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Universität Frankfurt/Main (01/01/1982) | |
| 1985 | Chair Professor at the Technische Universität München in succession of Prof. Dr.h.c.mult. E.O. Fischer, Inorganic Chemistry (04/01/1985) | |
| 1988 & 1993 |
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| 1993 | Declined offer for Head position of Central Research HOECHST AG | |
| 1995-2019 | President of the Technische Universität München (10/01/1995), Re-elected in 1999, 2005, 2007, 2013 |
More information about the life and activities
of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Wolfgang A. Herrmann:
| 1979 | Chemistry Award of the Academy of Sciences at Göttingen |
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| 1979 | Karl Winnacker-Fellowship of HOECHST AG (1979-1983) |
| 1982 | Otto Klung-Award, Berlin |
| 1985 | Arthur D. Little-Lectureship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA |
| 1987 | Leibniz-Research Award of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft |
| 1987 | Visiting Professorships at the Universities of Bordeaux and Toulouse, France |
| 1987/88 | Karl-Ziegler-Visiting Professorship at the Max Planck-Institute for Coal Research (Mülheim/Ruhr) |
| 1988 | Visiting Professorship at the University of Strasbourg |
| 1989 | Visiting Professorship at the University of Rennes |
| 1989 | Alexander von Humboldt-Award - of the french department for science honoring his German-French cooperation |
| 1990 | Elected Member of the Academy of Sciences and Literature at Mainz |
| 1990 | Otto Bayer-Award of BAYER AG, Leverkusen (jointly with K. P. C. Vollhardt, Berkeley, USA) |
| 1990 | Doctor honoris causa, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, France |
| 1991 | Frontiers in Chemistry Distinguished Lectureship, Texas A & M University, College Station/Texas (USA) |
| 1991 | Max Planck-Research-Award (jointly with J.-M. Basset, Lyon, France) |
| 1992 | Fellow of the Japanese Society of Promotion of Science (JSPS) |
| 1992 | Sammet-Visiting Professorship of HOECHST AG at the Universität Frankfurt/Main |
| 1993 | Inauguration of the Van der Kerk-Lectureship, Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht, Netherlands |
| 1993 | Seaborg Lectureship at the University of California at Berkeley, USA |
| 1994 | Pino-Medal of the Società Chimica Italiana, Italy |
| 1994 | Iberdrola-Visiting Professorship of the Università Alcala de Henares Madrid, Spain |
| 1995 | Member of the National Academy of Natural Researcher Leopoldina, Halle |
| 1995 | Wilhelm Klemm-Award of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker |
| 1995 | Doctor honoris causa, Pannonia University of Veszprém, Hungary |
| 1997 | Bundesverdienstkreuz, Republic of Germany |
| 1999 | Doctor honoris causa, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC/USA |
| 1999 | Dr.-Arthur-Sease-Williams-Lectureship in Inorganic Chemistry, University of South Carolina, S. C. (USA) |
| 2000 | Luigi-Sacconi-Medal of the Societe Chimica Italiana (Italy) |
| 2000 | Werner Heisenberg-Medal of the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation |
| 2000 | Officier de l‘Ordre national de l‘Honneur of the French Republic |
| 2002 | Doctor honoris causa, Universidade Nova de Lisboa/Portugal |
| 2002 | "Großer Ehrenteller" of the Peutinger-Collegium, Munich |
| 2003 | Doctor honoris causa, Nanjing University of Science and Technology (China) |
| 2003 | Doctor honoris causa, University of Rennes (France) Pictures from the award ceremony (click to enlarge): |
| 2004 | ACS Award in Organometallic Chemistry (American Chemical Society) |
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| 2004 | "Initiativpreis 2004" from Stiftung Industrieforschung, Cologne (Germany) |
| 2005 | Doctor honoris causa, Technical University Timisoara (Romania) |
| 2005 | William Knight Lectureship, University of Ohio (USA) |
| 2005 | State Constitution Silver Medal of the State of Bavaria, Munich |
| 2006 | Doctor honoris causa, Johann Wolfgang v. Goethe University Frankfurt a. Main (Germany) |
| 2006 | Doctor honoris causa, Texas A&M University, College Station/Texas (USA) Pictures from the Award Ceremony (with Prof. F. A. Cotton - 3.f.r.- and University President Robert M. Gates - 1.f.r.): |
| 2007 | B Bavarian State Medal, Munich(Germany) |
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| 2008 | Doctor honoris causa, Bauman Moscow State Technical University (Russia) |
| 2009 | Doctor honoris causa, Tiflis State University (Tiflis, Georgia) |
| 2009 | University Manager of the Year |
| 2010 | "Goldene Bürgermedaille" of Freising (Golden outstanding citizen award medal) |
| 2011 | Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences |
| 2012 | President of the Year |
| 2012 | Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art |
| 2013 | Doctor honoris causa, Nanyang Technological University (NTU, Singapore) |
| 2014 | Gold Medal of Honor of the Administrative District of Berchtesgadener Land |
| 2015 | Gold medal for services to the town of Garching (near Munich) |
| 2015 | Doctor honoris causa, Polytechnical University Bucharest (Romania) |
| 2016 | Honorary Citizenship of the town of Burghausen |
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| 2016 | Marvin D. Rausch-Lectureship in Organometallic Chemistry, Massachusetts University, Amhurst (USA) |
| 2017 | Medal for the Protection of Historical Monuments, State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments |
| 2017 | Member of the Senate of the Max Planck Society |
| 2018 | Golden Ring of Honor from the county of Altötting |
| 2019 | Georg Mauerer Medal in Gold of the Klinikum rechts der Isar, TUM university hospital |
| 2021 | Gold Medal of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) |
- 840 original papers in refereed journals (h-index: 102)
- approx. 60 review articles
- approx. 80 patents
- 40 contributions for books
- Book: "Catalysis from A to Z" (B.Cornils, W.A.Herrmann, R.Schlögl, C.H.Wong), VCH-Wiley, 4th edition, Weinheim 2013.
- Book: "Multiphase Homogeneous Catalysis" (B. Cornils, W. A Herrmann, I. T. Horvath, W. Leitner, S. Mecking, H. Olivier-Bourbigou, D. Vogt), VCH-Wiley, 2005.
- Book: "Applied Homogeneous Catalysis with Organometallic Complexes"A Comprehensive Handbook, 2nd Edition (B.Cornils/W.A. Herrmann, publisher), VCH-Wiley, vol .1&2, Weinheim, 2002, 3rd edition, Weinheim, 2018, 4th edition.
- Book: "Aqueous-Phase Organometallic Chemistry " (B.Cornils/W.A. Herrmann, publisher), VCH-Wiley, 2nd edition, Weinheim, 2004.Ten volume series of monographs: "Synthetic Methods of Organometallic and Inorganic Chemistry", Vol. 1-10, Thieme-Verlag, Stuttgart, 1996-2000.
- approx. 450 scientific lectures in and outside of Germany (mainly USA, UK, France, Switzerland, Australia)
Journal of Organometallic Chemistry (since 1985)
Polyhedron (1985-1994)
Organometallics (1985-1990)
Journal of Cluster Science (since 1988)
Journal of Molecular Catalysis (since 1994)
Bulletin de la Sociéte Chimique de France (1991-1995)
Nachrichten aus Chemie, Technik und Laboratorium, Weinheim/Germany (1986-1993)
Catalysis Letters (since 1999)
Angewandte Chemie (since 1999)
Chemistry Letters (Japan) (2006-)
Editorial Advisory Board Journal of Organometallic Chemistry , Vice President of the German Chemical Society (1997-1999)
Board of directors of the Deutsches Museum München (since 1991, Chairman 1996-1998)
Chairman of Advisory Board of the Deutsches Museum, Munich (1998 - 2014)
Member of the Selection Committee of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (1984 - 2000)
Chairman of the German Chemical Society, Munich (1986-1988)
Member of "Kuratorium der Nachrichten aus Chemie, Technik und Laboratorium" (1986-1993)
Member of the Selection Committee of the German-Israeli MINERVA-Foundation (1987-1992)
Member of the Academic Senate of the Technische Universität München (1986-1990)
Dean of the Fakultät für Chemie, Biologie und Geowissenschaften of the Technische Universität München (1988-90)
Board member of the Bund der Freunde der Technischen Universität München e.V. (since 1989)
Board member of the Hans-Fischer-Gesellschaft e.V., München (since 1989)
Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board VIAG AG, Bonn/Berlin (1991-1996)
Member of "DECHEMA-Fachausschuß Chemische Reaktionstechnik" (1993-2003)
Member of the executive board of the DECHEMA Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Frankfurt (since 2004)
Board member of the Karl-Winnacker-Stiftung of HOECHST AG / Aventis (since 1994)
Member of "Präsidium des Wirtschaftsbeirats der Union e.V." (since 1996) and chairman of "Ausschuss Bildung und Wissenschaft" (since 1996)
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board "Katholische Akademie in Bayern" (1997-2005)
Member of "Kuratorium des Freundeskreises der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek" (since 1998)
Member of the Board of the Friedrich-Schiedel-Stiftung (since 1999)
Chairman of the State Research Council of Baden-Württemberg (1999-2003)
Board Member of the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation. Member of "Engeres Kuratorium des Fonds der Chemischen Industrie" (since 2001)
Member of the Curatorship of the ifo institute (since 2003)
Lecturer at the German Institute of Science and Technology (founded 2002) in Singapore (GIST Singapore), Master course "Industrial Chemistry"
Acatech - German Academy for Technical Sciences e.V. Member of Kuratoriums of Heinz-Naumann-Stiftung
Chairman of the Bavarian Rectors' Conference (2002-2004)
Founder and first Chairman of the "Universität Bayern e.V. (2004-2005)
Member of "Acatech e.V." - the Academy for Technological sciences Member of the Curatorship of the Max-Planck Institute of Physics (Werner-Heisenberg Institute) (since 2005)
Member of the International Advisory Council of the King Abdullah University of Science and Engineering (KAUST), Saudi-Arabia (since 2007)
Member of the Governing Board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) (2008 - 2014)
Member of the International Advisory Council of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Saudi-Arabia (2009 - 2012)
Member of the "Zukunftsrat" (Coucil for Future Development) of the Bavarian Government (2010-2012)
Chairman of the TUM Universitätsstiftung (since its foundation in 2010)
Member of the "Bund der Freunde der Technischen Universität München"
Chairman of the "Zukunftsrat" (Coucil for Future Development) of the Association of the Bavarian Economy e.V. (VBW; since 2014)
Members of the Board of Trustees of the TÜV-Süd Foundation (since 2014)
Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (since 2011)
Member of the Advisory Board of the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich (2011)
Member of the Board of Trustees of the American Academy in Berlin (2013-2018)
Member of the International Academic Advisory Panel (IAAP), Ministry of Education, Singapore (since 2014)
Member of the Board of the Catholic University Eichstatt-Ingolstadt (since October 2015)
Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker
American Chemical Society
Görres-Gesellschaft zur Pflege der Wissenschaft
Acatech - Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften e.V.
Hans-Fischer-Gesellschaft e.V.
Rotary Club München-Schwabing
Freundeskreis des Deutschen Museums e.V.
Freundeskreis der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek e.V.
Heimatbund Garching a. d. Alz e.V.
Bund der Freunde der Technischen Universität München e.V.
Chairman of the "XIVth International Symposium on Homogeneous Catalysis", Munich, 5.-12.7.2004
Organizer of the "Königstein/Kreuth-Conferences" for Metallorganic Chemistry and its Borders (1985-1999, every two years)
Chairman of the "First Journal of Organometallic Chemistry Conference" (4./5. November 1993) in Munich