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Willy Hartner

1905 – 1981

German polymath

Historian University teacher Historian of science
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About Willy Hartner

Lived 1905 – 1981 (aged 76). Willy Hartner was a German historian, university teacher, historian of science and naturalist.

Willy Hartner (22 January 1905 – 16 May 1981) was a German scientist and polymath. He studied at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, where he obtained his PhD in physics in 1928 and where he later served as professor from 1940, as ordinary professor [German academic terminology] from 1946.

In 1943, he founded the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, today part of the Institute of Physics at the university. Hartner received the George Sarton Medal in 1971. He was president of the Académie Internationale d'Histoire des Sciences from 1971 to 1978. He was a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1935, of the Academia Real de buenas letras, Spain, in 1968 and of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Italy, in 1975, and of the Royal Danish Academy in 1980. In 1975, he received the rank of knight in the Légion d'honneur.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Goethe University Frankfurt
Employers
Goethe University Frankfurt
Awards
George Sarton Medal

People in Willy Hartner's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Willy Hartner's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Willy Hartner?

German polymath (1905–1981)

When was Willy Hartner born?

Willy Hartner was born on 22 January 1905 in Ennigerloh.

When did Willy Hartner die?

Willy Hartner died on 16 May 1981 in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe.

What was Willy Hartner's occupation?

Willy Hartner was a historian, university teacher, historian of science and naturalist.

What nationality was Willy Hartner?

Willy Hartner was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Willy Hartner

· Wikidata: Q99857

· DBpedia: Willy Hartner

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Willy Hartner. https://biography.guide/willy-hartner/

MLA: "Willy Hartner." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/willy-hartner/.

Chicago: "Willy Hartner." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/willy-hartner/.

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