Hermann Emil Fischer
Hermann Emil Fischer (
October 9,
1852 -
July 15,
1919) was a
German chemist and recipient of the
Nobel Prize for Chemistry in
1902. Fischer was born in Euskirchen, near
Cologne, the son of a businessman. After graduating he wished to study natural sciences, but his father compelled him to work in the family business until determining that his son was unsuitable.
Fischer then attended the
University of Bonn in
1872, but switched to the
University of Strasbourg in 1872. He earned his doctorate in
1874 with his study of phthalein and was appointed to a position at the university. In
1875 he followed one of his teachers to the
University of Munich and became a professor of chemistry. In
1881 he became a professor at the
University of Erlangen. In 1888 he was asked to become Professor of Chemistry at the University of Würzburg and here he remained until 1892, when he was asked to succeed A. W. Hofmann in the Chair of Chemistry at the
University of Berlin. Here he remained until his death in 1919.
Fischer is noted for his work on
sugars among other work the
organic synthesis of (+)
glucose [1] and
purines.
His name can still be found in the names of many chemical reactions and concepts:
*
Fischer indole synthesis*
Fischer projection*
Fischer oxazole synthesis*
Fischer peptide synthesis*
Fischer phenylhydrazine and oxazone reaction*
Fischer reduction*
Fischer-Speier esterificationGerman Chemical Society medals are named after him
*
List of chemists*
Biography at nobel.se[1] E. Fischer, Ber. Dtsch. Chem. Ges. 1890, 23, 799 ± 805.
