Events on Science Studies
Through a variety of events, the Leopoldina promotes research, reflection, and dialogue on science. At the heart of these efforts are the seminars on the history of science, which provide a monthly forum for presenting current or established research within the context of the history of science
Last edited: 18. March 2026
Seminars on the History of Sciences
At the Leopoldina’s historic site, in close proximity to the archives and library, the Leopoldina hosts monthly seminars on the history of science for the general public as a venue for the public dissemination of knowledge.
The seminars on the history of science were founded by former Leopoldina President Benno Parthier and have been held at the Leopoldina since 1999. They offer a forum that extends beyond academic circles to enable societal participation in scientific and history-of-science discourses.
For the lectures in the seminar series, the Scientific Directorate—comprising Prof. Dr. Christina Brandt ML, Prof. Dr. Bettina Hitzer, and Prof. Dr. Friedrich Steinle ML—invites national and international researchers in the history of science.
The range of topics covered by the seminars, like the project and activity portfolio of the entire Research Library and Science Reflection Department, is diverse—spanning the history of academies, medicine, technology, and the natural sciences.
Lectures by Prof. Dr. Oliver Lubrich (Bern) on Alexander von Humboldt as a public intellectual, by Dr. Sybille Anderl (Hamburg) on the topic of dark matter: The Great Mystery of Cosmology, by Sir Prof. Dr. David Clary (Oxford) on Schrödinger and Heisenberg’s Complicated Nominations for the Royal Society, or by Dr. Anne Sudrow (Berlin) titled Healing.Herbs.Cultures: Research on Organic Farming and Scientific Forced Labor at the Dachau Concentration Camp (1940 to 1945), have attracted a wide audience in the past.
The lectures, followed by a Q&A and discussion session, generally take place on the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m., either in a hybrid format in the reading room at Emil-Abderhalden-Straße 36 or entirely online. Registration is not required.
Every two years, as part of the Seminars on the History of Science, the Georg Uschmann Prize for the History of Science is awarded for outstanding dissertations, and the winning scholars are invited to give a lecture.
A collaboration with the Francke Foundations in Halle enriches the annual November seminar and brings together two established institutions in the city of Halle for scholarly exchange.