Gerhard Ertl

Gerhard Ertl is a German physicist and chemist who also works as a university teacher. Born in Stuttgart in 1936, he has resided in Germany and worked in Munich. His professional interests include physics and chemistry. He was educated at the University of Stuttgart, the University of Paris, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and the Technical University of Munich. His doctoral advisor was Heinz Gerischer, who also influenced his work.

Ertl has received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg, the Faraday Lectureship Prize, and the Rudolf-Diesel-Medaille. He is a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Sciences. He has been employed by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leibniz University Hannover, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Freie Universität Berlin. He speaks German and identifies with Christianity.