# Theodor W. Hänsch

_German physicist and nobel laureate (born 1941)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/theodor-w-hansch
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Theodor Wolfgang Hänsch is a German physicist. He received one-fourth of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics for "contributions to the development of laser-based precision spectroscopy, including the optical frequency comb technique", sharing the prize with John L. Hall and Roy J. Glauber.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 30 October 1941 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q71013#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Heidelberg ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q71013#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Germany; United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q71013#P27))
- **Occupation:** physicist; university teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q71013#P106))
- **Education:** Heidelberg University; Stanford University; LMU Munich; Helmholtz-Gymnasium Heidelberg ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q71013#P69))
- **Official website:** mpq.mpg.de/~haensch/htm_neu/HaenschCV.html ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q71013#P856))
- **Positions held:** professor ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q71013#P39))
- **Awards:** Bayerische Verfassungsmedaille in Gold; Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order; Nobel Prize in Physics; Rudolf-Diesel-Medaille; Frederic Ives Medal; Stern–Gerlach Medal; Otto Hahn Prize; Albert A. Michelson Medal; King Faisal Prize in Science; Alfried-Krupp Science Prize; Wilhelm Exner Medal; Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art; Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize; Matteucci Medal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q71013#P166))

## Questions

**When was Theodor W. Hänsch born?**  
Theodor W. Hänsch was born on 30 October 1941 in Heidelberg.

**What positions has Theodor W. Hänsch held?**  
Positions held by Theodor W. Hänsch include: professor.

**Where did Theodor W. Hänsch study?**  
Theodor W. Hänsch was educated at Heidelberg University, Stanford University, LMU Munich, Helmholtz-Gymnasium Heidelberg.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Theodor W. Hänsch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_W._H%C3%A4nsch) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q71013](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q71013) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Theodor W Haensch.jpg by No machine-readable author provided. Blinking Spirit assumed (based on copyright claims). (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Theodor_W_Haensch.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Theodor W. Hänsch, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Theodor W Haensch.jpg — No machine-readable author provided. Blinking Spirit assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Theodor W. Hänsch". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/theodor-w-hansch. Retrieved 6 November 2026.