# Max von Laue

_German physicist, Nobel laureate and anti-Nazi (1879–1960)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/max-von-laue
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Max Theodor Felix von Laue (German: [maks fɔn ˈlaʊ̯ə] ; 9 October 1879 – 24 April 1960) was a German physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1914 "for his discovery of the diffraction of X-rays by crystals."

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 9 October 1879 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57067#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Koblenz-Pfaffendorf ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57067#P19))
- **Died:** 24 April 1960 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57067#P570))
- **Place of death:** West Berlin ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57067#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57067#P27))
- **Occupation:** physicist; university teacher; crystallographer; mathematician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57067#P106))
- **Education:** University of Göttingen; LMU Munich; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; University of Zurich; University of Strasbourg ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57067#P69))
- **Spouse:** Magda von Laue ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57067#P26))
- **Awards:** Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order; Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; Ernst Reuter Medal; Nobel Prize in Physics; Max Planck Medal; Helmholtz Medal; Matteucci Medal; X-ray badge; Adolf-von-Baeyer Gold Medal; Fellow of the American Physical Society; Foreign Member of the Royal Society; Pour le Mérite; honorary member of the German Mineralogical Society; honorary member of the Physics Association (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57067#P166))

## About

In addition to his scientific endeavors with contributions in optics, crystallography, quantum theory, superconductivity, and the theory of relativity, Laue had a number of administrative positions which advanced and guided German scientific research and development during four decades. A strong objector to Nazism, he was instrumental in re-establishing and organizing German science after World War II.

## Questions

**When was Max von Laue born?**  
Max von Laue was born on 9 October 1879 in Koblenz-Pfaffendorf.

**Where did Max von Laue study?**  
Max von Laue was educated at University of Göttingen, LMU Munich, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, University of Zurich.

## Related

- [Adolf Windaus](https://diginpl.com/people/adolf-windaus)
- [Albrecht Kossel](https://diginpl.com/people/albrecht-kossel)
- [Arno Allan Penzias](https://diginpl.com/people/arno-allan-penzias)
- [Benjamin List](https://diginpl.com/people/benjamin-list)
- [Bernard Katz](https://diginpl.com/people/bernard-katz)
- [Bert Sakmann](https://diginpl.com/people/bert-sakmann)
- [Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard](https://diginpl.com/people/christiane-nusslein-volhard)
- [Ernst Otto Fischer](https://diginpl.com/people/ernst-otto-fischer)
- [Ernst Ruska](https://diginpl.com/people/ernst-ruska)
- [Erwin Neher](https://diginpl.com/people/erwin-neher)
- [Feodor Lynen](https://diginpl.com/people/feodor-lynen)
- [Friedrich Bergius](https://diginpl.com/people/friedrich-bergius)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Max von Laue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_von_Laue) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q57067](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57067) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: (UAZ) AB.1.0583 Laue.tif by Franz Schmelhaus, Zürich (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:(UAZ)_AB.1.0583_Laue.tif)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Max von Laue, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: (UAZ) AB.1.0583 Laue.tif — Franz Schmelhaus, Zürich, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Max von Laue". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/max-von-laue. Retrieved 15 November 2026.