Nobel Laureates from Würzburg: Exhibition now in the city centre

08/04/2026

The JMU exhibition on Würzburg’s Nobel Prize winners will be on display from Thursday 6 August at the Sparkasse on Hofstraße. There will be a free public guided tour at 1 pm to mark the opening.

With this exhibition, the University of Würzburg is honouring its 14 Nobel laureates to date – Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen received the first Nobel Prize 125 years ago. (Image: Martin Brandstätter / Universität Würzburg)

The exhibition focuses on 14 scientists who have conducted research or taught at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) and who have been awarded the Nobel Prize.

From 6 August to 7 September 2026, anyone interested can view the exhibition at the central advisory centre of Sparkasse Mainfranken at Hofstraße 7–9. Twelve information panels, written in accessible language, describe the scientists’ discoveries and illustrate how their research continues to have an impact today – in medicine, the technical and natural sciences, and in everyday life.

The exhibition will open on Thursday, 6 August 2026, at 1 pm. Dr Marcus Holtz, Head of the University Archives, will give guests a brief guided tour (in German language) of the exhibition. Attendance is free of charge, but registration by email to presse@uni-wuerzburg.de is required.

125 Years of Würzburg’s Nobel Prize History

The exhibition takes its starting point from an anniversary: in 1901, exactly 125 years ago, the Würzburg-based researcher Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was awarded the world’s first Nobel Prize for his discovery of X-rays, which are named after him.

Alongside the physicist, the exhibition also profiles other Würzburg Nobel laureates, such as the chemist Svante Arrhenius, who laid important foundations for modern electrochemistry, and the physician Harald zur Hausen, whose research into human papillomaviruses (HPV) paved the way for the development of a vaccine against cervical cancer.

Another focus of the exhibition is on contextualising the history of the Nobel Prize and examining outstanding research at the University of Würzburg, both past and present. At the same time, it addresses the role of women in research and explores the question of why, to date, only men have been among the laureates from Würzburg.

The exhibition was developed by JMU’s Press and Public Relations Office in collaboration with the University Archives.

University President: “Bringing science to society”

“Research has an impact not only in laboratories and lecture theatres, but also through engagement with society,” says JMU President Paul Pauli. “With our exhibition, we want to tell the stories behind the Nobel Prizes and, at the same time, show the contribution that research from Würzburg continues to make to this day. I would like to thank Sparkasse Mainfranken Würzburg for providing us with such a central exhibition venue.”

The Sparkasse Mainfranken’s advisory centre is situated in the heart of Würzburg city centre and is visited by numerous people every day. This means the exhibition reaches a wide audience far beyond the University of Würzburg.

“As an institute with deep regional roots, we are delighted to host this special exhibition,” says Stefan Hebig, Head of Communications at Sparkasse Würzburg. “It brings together science, history and social relevance in a vivid way and invites visitors to rediscover the achievements of these extraordinary individuals.”