With the Helmholtz Medal, the Academy honours outstanding scientific achievements in the fields of humanities, social sciences, mathematics and natural sciences, biology, medicine and engineering sciences. The medal may be awarded biennially. It is conferred at the ceremonial session on the Academy’s Leibniz Day celebration.
2024: Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Arlie Russell Hochschild
2022: Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Katalin Karikó
2020: Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Gábor A. Somorjai
2018: Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Rita R. Colwell
2016: Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Nicholas Rescher
2014: Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Murray Gell-Mann †
2012: Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. John C. Polanyi
2010: Professor Dr. phil. Dr. h. c. Niels Birbaumer
2008: Professor em. Dr. phil. Dres. h. c. Peter Wapnewski †
2006: Professor em. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h. c. mult. Dr.-Ing. E. h. mult. Günter Spur †
2004: Professor Dr. phil. Hans-Ulrich Wehler †
2002: Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Friedrich Hirzebruch †
2000: Professor Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Jürgen Habermas
1998: Sir Roger Penrose, Ph. D.
1996: Professor Dr. Avram Noam Chomsky
1994: Professor Dr. rer. nat. Dr. h. c. mult. Manfred Eigen †