# Gerhard Herzberg

_German-Canadian physicist and physical chemist (1904-1999)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/gerhard-herzberg
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Gerhard Heinrich Friedrich Otto Julius Herzberg, was a German-Canadian pioneering physicist and physical chemist, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1971, "for his contributions to the knowledge of electronic structure and geometry of molecules, particularly free radicals". Herzberg's main work concerned atomic and molecular spectroscopy. He is well known for using these techniques that determine the structures of diatomic and polyatomic molecules, including free radicals which are difficult to investigate in any other way, and for the chemical analysis of astronomical objects. Herzberg served as Chancellor of Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada from 1973 to 1980.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 25 December 1904 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Hamburg ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602#P19))
- **Died:** 3 March 1999 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602#P570))
- **Place of death:** Ottawa ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Canada; Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602#P27))
- **Occupation:** astronomer; physicist; chemist; university teacher; physical chemist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602#P106))
- **Education:** University of Göttingen; Technical University of Darmstadt; Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602#P69))
- **Spouse:** Luise Hedwig Herzberg ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602#P26))
- **Positions held:** Chancellor of Carleton University (1973–1980) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602#P39))
- **Awards:** Fellow of the Royal Society; Faraday Lectureship Prize; Royal Medal; Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Frederic Ives Medal; Companion of the Order of Canada; Willard Gibbs Award; Henry Marshall Tory Medal; Centenary Prize; Fellow of the American Physical Society; honorary doctorate at the Laval University; Royal Society Bakerian Medal; Chemical Institute of Canada Medal; Earle K. Plyler Prize; Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602#P166))

## Questions

**When was Gerhard Herzberg born?**  
Gerhard Herzberg was born on 25 December 1904 in Hamburg.

**What positions has Gerhard Herzberg held?**  
Positions held by Gerhard Herzberg include: Chancellor of Carleton University (1973–1980).

**Where did Gerhard Herzberg study?**  
Gerhard Herzberg was educated at University of Göttingen, Technical University of Darmstadt, Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Gerhard Herzberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Herzberg) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q76602](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76602) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: 24 Tagung 1974 Chemiker- Gerhard Herzberg - LABW - Staatsarchiv Freiburg W 134 Nr. 101112b.jpeg by Willy Pragher (CC BY 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:24_Tagung_1974_Chemiker-_Gerhard_Herzberg_-_LABW_-_Staatsarchiv_Freiburg_W_134_Nr._101112b.jpeg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Gerhard Herzberg, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: 24 Tagung 1974 Chemiker- Gerhard Herzberg - LABW - Staatsarchiv Freiburg W 134 Nr. 101112b.jpeg — Willy Pragher, CC BY 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Gerhard Herzberg". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/gerhard-herzberg. Retrieved 5 November 2026.