Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta’s shared legacy related to plastics and polymer production is an achievement worthy of recognition, and exemplifies greatly what the EuChemS Historical Landmark Award stands for: chemistry, that plays a vital role in the history of Europe, and beyond. Therefore, the 2022 Historical Landmark Award on the European level was awarded jointly to two exceptional sites, which were connected by the collaboration of these great chemists: The Ziegler-Natta Legacy.
In 1943 Karl Ziegler was offered a position at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung in Mülheim (MPI). Before accepting this job, he wanted to receive a confirmation that he would be entirely free when it came to research in organic chemistry. And he got it.
During the award ceremony in Mülheim, kindly hosted by Frank Neese, managing Director at the MPI für Kohlenforschung, Ziegler-Natta’s research work was excellently presented by Alois Fürstner (MPI) in his talk titled “Why I Think Prof. Ziegler Could Not Help But Discover Olefin Polymerization”, complemented by Guetano Guerra, former President of the Italian Chemical Society, and Sabine Becker, GDCh Vice-President, after opening addresses given by Angela Agostiano, EuChemS President, and Gianluca Maria Farinola, President of the Italian Chemical Society. The EuChemS Historical Landmark plaque was unveiled by Marc Buchholz, Mayor of Mülheim a.d.Ruhr, together with representatives from MPI, Politecnico di Milano and EuChemS.
The Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy was where Giulio Natta worked on the improvements of Karl Ziegler’s earlier work, which ultimately led to the discovery of the Ziegler-Natta Catalyst and their joint Nobel Prize. The building of the Politecnico’s chemistry department is named after Giulio Natta, and it hosts the historic lecture hall, where he taught his students. In May, the EuChemS Historical Landmark Plaque took its place on the wall of this hall, near the lectern where Natta himself stood years ago.
The ceremony in Milan – just like the one in Mulheim – had no shortage of distinguished guests: Prof. Donatella Sciuto, Rector of Politecnico di Milano, Prof. Marinella Levi, Head of the Department of Chemistry, and Simonetta D’Amico, Municipial councillor of Milan made welcoming remarks. EuChemS President Angela Agostiano, SCI President Gianluca Farinola and GDCh Vice-President Sabine Becker addressed the audience as well as Gabriele Mei from the board of EuroPlastics Italia. Before the plaque was unveiled, the attendees also listened to two engaging keynotes by MPI Director Alois Fürstner and Maurizio Galimberti from Politecnico di Milano, which provided candid insights into the scientific endeavours of Ziegler and Natta.
Awarding the locations where Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta worked with the EuChemS Historical Landmark Plaque, we celebrate their legacy joining a growing list of EuChemS Historical Landmarks: a network of historically significant scientific establishments all over Europe. This network grants exposure to the geographical scope and the diversity of the European scientific landscape, and promotes it not only within the chemistry community, but beyond, thus spreading the word of the importance of chemistry as a fundamental science.
EuChemS kindly thanks the Max-Planck-Institut (MPI) für Kohlenforschung and Politecnico di Milano for the excellent organisation of these high-quality events.
