# Reinhard Genzel

_German astronomer_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/reinhard-genzel
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Reinhard Genzel is a German astrophysicist, co-director of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, a professor at LMU Munich and an emeritus professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy", which he shared with Andrea Ghez and Roger Penrose. In a 2021 interview given to Federal University of Pará in Brazil, Genzel recalls his journey as a physicist; the influence of his father, Ludwig Genzel; his experiences working with Charles H. Townes; and more.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 24 March 1952 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65807#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Bad Homburg vor der Höhe ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65807#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65807#P27))
- **Occupation:** astronomer; university teacher; astrophysicist; scientist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65807#P106))
- **Education:** University of Bonn; University of Freiburg; Berthold-Gymnasium Freiburg ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65807#P69))
- **Awards:** Prix Jules Janssen; Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order; Tycho Brahe Medal; Stern–Gerlach Medal; Balzan Prize; Harvey Prize; Petrie Prize Lecture; Herschel Medal; Karl Schwarzschild Medal; Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize; Fellow of the American Physical Society; Albert Einstein Medal; Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; The Shaw Prize in Astronomy; Crafoord Prize in Astronomy ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65807#P166))

## Questions

**When was Reinhard Genzel born?**  
Reinhard Genzel was born on 24 March 1952 in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe.

**Where did Reinhard Genzel study?**  
Reinhard Genzel was educated at University of Bonn, University of Freiburg, Berthold-Gymnasium Freiburg.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Reinhard Genzel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhard_Genzel) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q65807](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65807) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Reinhard Genzel.jpg by MPE (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reinhard_Genzel.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Reinhard Genzel, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Reinhard Genzel.jpg — MPE, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Reinhard Genzel". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/reinhard-genzel. Retrieved 6 November 2026.