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Fritz Haber
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Fritz Haber

German chemist and receiver of the Nobel prize (1868–1934)

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Fritz Jakob Haber (German: [ˈfʁɪt͡s ˈhaːbɐ] ; 9 December 1868 – 29 January 1934) was a German chemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his invention of the Haber process, a method used in industry to synthesize ammonia from nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas. This invention is important for the large-scale synthesis of fertilizers and explosives. It is estimated that a third of annual global food production uses ammonia from the Haber–Bosch process, and that this food supports nearly half the world's population. For this work, Haber has been called one of the most important scientists and industrial chemists in human history. Haber also, along with Max Born, proposed the Born–Haber cycle as a method for evaluating the lattice energy of an ionic solid.

Quick facts

Born
wd
Place of birth
Wrocław wd
Died
wd
Place of death
Basel wd
Citizenship
Weimar Republic, Kingdom of Prussia wd
Occupation
chemist, physicist, engineer, university teacher wd
Education
ETH Zurich, Technische Universität Berlin, Heidelberg University, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Johanneum Breslau, Elisabeth-Gymnasium wd
Spouse
Clara Immerwahr, Charlotte Haber wd

Positions held wd

  • director (since 1911)
  • Geheimrat

Awards wd

  • Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1918)
  • Harnack medal (1926)
  • Wilhelm Exner Medal (1929)
  • Rumford Medal (1932)
  • National Inventors Hall of Fame (2006)
  • Liebig Medal (1914)
  • Bunsen Medal (1918)
  • honorary member of the Physics Association (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) (1910)

About

Haber, a known German nationalist, is also considered the "father of chemical warfare" for his years of pioneering work developing and weaponizing chlorine and other poisonous gases during World War I. He first proposed the use of the heavier-than-air chlorine gas as a weapon to break the trench deadlock during the Second Battle of Ypres. His work was later used, without his direct involvement, to develop the Zyklon B pesticide used for the killing of more than 1 million Jews in gas chambers in the greater context of the Holocaust.

Following the Nazis' rise to power in 1933, Haber resigned from his position. Already in poor health, he spent time in various countries before Chaim Weizmann invited him to become the director of the Sieff Research Institute (now the Weizmann Institute) in Rehovot, Mandatory Palestine. He accepted the offer but died of heart failure mid-journey in a hotel in Basel, Switzerland on 29 January 1934, aged 65.

Questions

When was Fritz Haber born?
Fritz Haber was born on 9 December 1868 in Wrocław.
What positions has Fritz Haber held?
Positions held by Fritz Haber include: director (since 1911); Geheimrat.
Where did Fritz Haber study?
Fritz Haber was educated at ETH Zurich, Technische Universität Berlin, Heidelberg University, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (English): Fritz Haber · CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. Wikidata item Q57075 · CC0 1.0
  3. Image: Portret van Professor Fritz Haber, een chemicus uit Duitsland (foto 1918- 1934), SFA002023057.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)

Last updated · facts checked 3 November 2026

Cite this page

"Fritz Haber". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/fritz-haber. Retrieved 4 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Fritz Haber, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Portret van Professor Fritz Haber, een chemicus uit Duitsland (foto 1918- 1934), SFA002023057.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

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