Biochemist, born in Vienna, Austria. He studied at Munich, was director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, and became professor at Heidelberg University from 1929. He was noted for his work on the structure and synthesis of vitamins A and B2, and on carotinoids. He was awarded the 1938 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, but was forbidden to accept it by the Nazi government (he received the prize after World War 2).
Richard Kuhn (Vienna, December 3, 1900 – August 1, 1967 in Heidelberg, Germany) was an Austrian-German biochemist and Nobel Prize winner.
Life
Kuhn grew up in Vienna and attended grammar school and high school there.
After graduating Kuhn continued his scientic career, first in Munich, then at the ETH Zurich and from 1929 onwards at the University of Heidelberg, where he was head of the chemistry department beginning in 1937.
Scientific work and Nobel Prize
Kuhn's areas of study included: carotenoids, stereochemistry, vitamins, and enzymes.
He was subsequently awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1938 for his work in carotenoids and vitamins, but was unable to accept the award until after World War II.
He had been associated for many years with the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, and had also been associated with the University of Heidelberg and the University of Pennsylvania.
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