Hermann Leuchs

Short description: German chemist (1879–1945)

Friedrich Hermann Leuchs

Born| (1879-08-26)26 August 1879

Nürnberg, German Empire

Died| 2 May 1945(1945-05-02) (aged 65)

Berlin, Nazi Germany

Alma mater| University of Berlin
Scientific career
Fields| Organic chemistry
Doctoral advisor| Emil Fischer

Friedrich Hermann Leuchs (8 August 1879 – 2 May 1945) was a German chemist.

## Life

Leuchs studied chemistry at the University of Munich from 1898. He transferred to the University of Berlin and received his PhD there in 1902 under Emil Fischer. He steadily advanced in the hierarchy of the university, becoming a lecturer in 1910, assistant professor in 1914, and full professor in 1916. The ministry of education assured him that he would succeed Wilhelm Schlenk as head of the chemistry institute of the University of Berlin, but this never happened. His personality became strongly misanthropic. The Nazi regime, World War II and the destruction of Berlin increased his psychological problems, and shortly before the war ended he committed suicide in his flat in Berlin. This happened most likely on 2 May 1945. He was buried in a mass grave with numerous soldiers and citizens.[1]

## Work

Leuchs's research dealt with the chemistry of amino acids and the chemistry of strychnine. The Leuchs reaction and the Leuchs anhydride were named after him.

## References

1. ↑ Kricheldorf, Hans R. (2006). "Polypeptides and 100 Years of Chemistry of α-Amino Acid N-Carboxyanhydrides". Angewandte Chemie 45 (35): 5752–5784. doi:10.1002/anie.200600693. PMID 16948174.

* Historical notes from the Humboldt-Universität
* Leuchs, Hermann (1906). "Ueber die Glycin-carbonsäure". Chemische Berichte 39 (1): 857–861. doi:10.1002/cber.190603901133. https://zenodo.org/record/1426172.
* Kröhnke, Fritz (1952). "Hermann Leuchs. 1879–1945". Chemische Berichte 85 (11): LV–LXXXIX. doi:10.1002/cber.19520851102.

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