The 1928 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Adolf Windaus for his investigation of sterols and their relationship to vitamins. Born in Berlin in 1876, he became a central figure in German organic chemistry during the early twentieth century, eventually overseeing the chemical institute at the University of Göttingen for nearly three decades.
Academic Foundation and Career
Windaus attended the Französisches Gymnasium Berlin before enrolling at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin around 1895 to study medicine. He later transitioned to chemistry at the University of Freiburg. Throughout his career, he held professorships at the University of Freiburg, the University of Innsbruck, and the University of Göttingen. He served as the head of the chemical institute at Göttingen from 1915 until 1944.
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His primary research focused on sterols, which are high-molecular-weight secondary alcohols featuring alicyclic systems. Windaus investigated cholesterol, examining its levels in various biological states, including pregnancy and disease. He expanded his inquiry into zoosterols found in sponges, insects, and echinodermata, and phytosterols like sitosterol found in plants. His systematic analysis revealed the structural complexity of these compounds, though he famously noted the surprising absence of sterols in bacteria.
Vitamin D and Antirachitic Discovery
Addressing the treatment of rickets, Windaus determined that pure cholesterol lost its antirachitic properties after irradiation, indicating that a trace impurity was responsible for vitamin activity. Working alongside collaborators like A.F. Hess and O. Rosenheim, he identified ergosterol as a key precursor to vitamin D2. Later, he isolated 7-dehydrocholesterol from animal sources and established that it produced vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, when exposed to light. These discoveries provided a chemical basis for understanding how sunlight prevents bone disease.
Political Stance and Awards
During his tenure in Germany, Windaus maintained an oppositional stance toward the Nazi regime, including the protection of a Jewish graduate student. His scientific contributions were recognized with the Adolf-von-Baeyer Gold Medal in 1927 and the Goethe Medal for Art and Science in 1941. In 1951, he received the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He was a member of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences and the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
Fast facts
- Born: 1876, Berlin
- Died: 1959, Göttingen
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry: 1928
- Education: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, University of Freiburg
- Marriage: Elizabeth Resau, 1915
- Notable role: Head of the chemical institute at Göttingen (1915–1944)
- Burial site: Göttingen City Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was Adolf Windaus's main contribution to medicine?
He identified the chemical precursors to vitamin D and explained how they are transformed into active vitamins through ultraviolet light irradiation.
Did Windaus collaborate with the Nazi government?
No, he openly opposed the regime and protected a Jewish graduate student at his institute.
Achievements
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany — 1951
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry — 1928
- Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order
- Held posts at University of Freiburg, University of Göttingen and University of Innsbruck
- Educated at Französisches Gymnasium Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and University of Freiburg
- Fields of research: organic chemistry
