Nobel Laureate Exhibition
For more than a century, the Nobel Prize has symbolised the spirit of research and the desire to improve the world through science. Every year, millions of people look to Stockholm and Oslo when the names of the new prize winners are announced.
The award was established by the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. The Nobel Prize was awarded for the first time on 10 December 1901, the fifth anniversary of the death of its founder Alfred Nobel. The first Nobel Prize ever awarded went to the Würzburg physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen. With the discovery of X-rays, he revolutionised medicine and laid the foundation for Würzburg's tradition of excellent research. To date, 14 Nobel Laureates have taught, researched or studied here.
In 2026, we will be celebrating this anniversary with a travelling exhibition, events and special insights into the world of Nobel Laureates. Join us on a journey through 125 years of scientific history – and discover how research from Würzburg continues to shape our world today.
Travelling Exhibition "Outstanding! 14 Würzburg Nobel Laureates – Ingenious Minds that Changed the World"
What does the physicist Ferdinand Braun have to do with group chats on WhatsApp? What do the different blood groups actually mean? And how is the oxygen we depend on for life produced?
The exhibition shows how strongly the ideas and discoveries of the Nobel Laureates continue to shape our everyday lives today, it offers an engaging overview ranging from the beginnings of the Nobel Prize, through 14 groundbreaking research projects, to the excellent research at the University of Würzburg today. At the same time, it takes a closer look at women in science and raises the question of why, to this day, all Würzburg Nobel Prize laureates have been men.
Timetable of the Travelling Exhibition
You can visit the travelling exhibition at various locations in Würzburg in 2026, admission is free. The schedule will be updated regularly:
-
27.01.2026 at 15:30: Opening of the exhibition
-
27.01.2026 until 13.03.2026: Lichthof Neue Universität on Sanderring
(opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) -
16.03.2026 to 10.04.2026: Mozartareal
(opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) -
13.04.2026 to 07.05.2026: Central Lecture Hall and Seminar Building (Z6), Hubland Süd
(opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) -
08.05.2026 to 13.06.2026: Building P1, Hubland Süd (Physics)
-
15.06.2026 to 26.06.2026: Rudolf Virchow Centre in the foyer
-
29.06.2026 to 17.07.2026: Science Lecture Hall Building, Building P4, Hubland Süd (Physics)
-
20.07.2026 to 31.07.2026: Building C3, Hubland Süd, Central Chemistry Building
New Edition of the Book "Outstanding! 14 Würzburg Nobel Laureates – Ingenious Minds that Changed the World"
To mark the 125th anniversary of the awarding of the first Nobel Prize, a newly revised publication on the Nobel Laureates of the University of Würzburg is forthcoming. In it, the authors Jost Lemmerich and Armin Stock shed light on the lives of the 14 Würzburg Laureates – and show just how diverse the route to scientific excellence can be.
The new edition "Outstanding! 14 Würzburg Nobel Laureates – Ingenious Minds that Changed the World" (Jost Lemmerich and Armin Stock) will be available in German and English from summer 2026, expected to be stocked by the following bookshops in Würzburg:
-
Bookshop Knodt
-
Schöningh University Bookshop
-
Bookshop Neuer Weg
-
Bookshop dreizehneinhalb
-
Bookshop Hugendubel
