# Georg Wittig

_German chemist (1979 Nobel Prize)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/georg-wittig
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Georg Wittig was a German chemist who reported a method for synthesis of alkenes from aldehydes and ketones using compounds called phosphonium ylides in the Wittig reaction. He shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Herbert C. Brown in 1979.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 16 June 1897 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77171#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Berlin ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77171#P19))
- **Died:** 26 August 1987 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77171#P570))
- **Place of death:** Heidelberg ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77171#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77171#P27))
- **Occupation:** chemist; mathematician; university teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77171#P106))
- **Political party:** Nazi Party (since 1 May 1937) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77171#P102))
- **Education:** University of Tübingen; University of Marburg ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77171#P69))
- **Awards:** Great Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Dannie Heineman Prize; Adolf-von-Baeyer Gold Medal; Karl Ziegler Prize; Roger Adams Award in Organic Chemistry; Otto Hahn Prize for Chemistry and Physics; doctor honoris causa from the University of Paris ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77171#P166))

## Questions

**When was Georg Wittig born?**  
Georg Wittig was born on 16 June 1897 in Berlin.

**Where did Georg Wittig study?**  
Georg Wittig was educated at University of Tübingen, University of Marburg.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Georg Wittig](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Wittig) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q77171](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77171) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Georg Wittig, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

## Cite this page

"Georg Wittig". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/georg-wittig. Retrieved 15 November 2026.