Nobel Laureate Georg Nagel: Cycling to a TV appearance
10/20/2026Georg Nagel, the new Nobel Laureate from Würzburg, paid a flying visit to the university on Friday. He was greeted with applause from students and the staff of the Institute of Physiology.
The team at the Institute of Physiology gave ‘their’ Nobel Laureate a warm welcome on Friday, 16 October 2026. When Professor Georg Nagel arrived at the Institute by bike, students and staff lined the path and applauded. It left no one unmoved: “I got goosebumps,” said one Institute member of staff.
A small reception followed at the Institute with invited guests in a lively atmosphere. In the lecture theatre, two men from the science editorial team of Swedish state television were already waiting for the 2026 Nobel Laureate in Medicine. Year after year, the editorial team interviews all Nobel Laureates in Medicine, Physics and Chemistry for in-depth TV profiles.
Balloons and newspaper reports
The physiology team had lovingly decorated the Institute for the whirlwind visit. In the stairwell, decorated with balloons, they had displayed a number of newspaper clippings about Georg Nagel. Alongside these was a large poster showing all three researchers who are to share the 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine (Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel).
When Georg Nagel, after receiving many congratulations and engaging in conversation, disappears into the lecture theatre for the TV interview, the door closes: ‘Please do not disturb – TV filming in progress!’ The Nobel Prize party now has to be moved to a seminar room – the noise from the celebrations would disrupt the recording too much.
Disappointed female students
Almost all the guests have left the foyer when two medical students enter the Institute. They have heard that the Würzburg Nobel Laureate is here today. They tentatively ask if they might be allowed to congratulate him. When they learn that Georg Nagel is currently being kept busy by the television crew, they are deeply disappointed.
Additional images
