Lise-Meitner-Lectures

Lise Meitner was born in Vienna and worked in Berlin for over 30 years. In 1939 she delivered the first physical-theoretical explanation of nuclear fission. She died in Cambridge (Great Britain) in 1968. In her honour, the Austrian Physical Society (ÖPG) and the German Physical Society (DPG) have established the "Lise Meitner Lectures" (LML), which took place for the first time in 2008.

This annual series of lectures aims to present outstanding female scientists to a broad audience. In addition to public and generally understandable lectures, meetings with school pupils and discussions with young women, students and young researchers are planned. For a wider reach, the lectures and interviews with the lecturers have been recorded and made available online since 2015.


Publications on the Lise Meitner Lectures

In addition to the lecture series Lise Meitner Lectures, a touring exhibition of roll-ups was conceived, which portrays Lise Meitner and also the annually changing role models. The exhibition called "Lise Meitner and 'her daughters': female physicists introduce themselves" can be borrowed from schools or other institutions and is regularly shown at DPG events. An exhibition catalogue of the same name accompanying the touring exhibition presents the Role Models of the years 2008 to 2013 as well as a historical view by Lise Meitner. In addition, a kind of "virtual exhibition" has also been designed, which contains a PDF presentation of all portrayed role models from the Lise Meitner lectures.

⇒ Publications of the Lise Meitner Lectures


Rules of procedure for the joint project Lise Meitner Lectures

On the occasion of the 130th birthday of Lise Meitner (1878 - 1968), the German Physical Society (DPG) and the Austrian Physical Society (ÖPG) have initiated the event series "Lise Meitner Lectures" (LML) as a joint project, which took place for the first time in Berlin and Vienna in 2008. This annual series of events organised by the partners ÖPG and DPG aims to introduce outstanding female scientists from Germany and Austria to a broad audience. The Lise Meitner Lectures are held in Germany at the DPG's annual conference and in Austria. The Lise Meitner Lectures are intended to arouse interest in physics among the general public, and especially among girls and women, and to help reduce prejudices and ignorance about the natural sciences. In addition to the public and generally understandable lectures, a supporting programme is offered. This programme includes a poster exhibition entitled "Lise Meitner and 'her daughters': Women Physicists introduce themselves". There, the life of Lise Meitner is presented by means of illustrated text panels and portraits of German and Austrian "role models" from the field of physics are shown. In addition, competitions for pupils, meetings with pupils and discussions with young women, students and young researchers can also be held within the framework programme.

  1. The joint project Lise-Meitner-Lectures (LML) is coordinated by a commission consisting of the following 6 persons (ex officio):
    Prof. Dr. Monika Ritsch-Marte, Medical University of Innsbruck
    Prof. Dr. Barbara Sandow, Free University Berlin
    President of the Austrian Physical Society (ÖPG)
    President of the German Physical Society (DPG)
    A representative of the DPG office
    Speaker of the DPG working group "Equal Opportunities" (AKC)
  2. For the organisation of the LML and the selection of the lecturers, the commission as mentioned under 1) is too permanent. All members of the commission are entitled to submit proposals for the LML lecturers. Submissions are made by e-mail to all commission members or at the commission meetings.
  3. The commission meets at least once a year in Germany (i.e. on the day of the LML at the annual meeting of the DPG) or in Austria to discuss the proposals. In principle, the Commission only has a quorum if at least half of the Commission members from each country participate.
  4. The LML lecturer receives a certificate signed by the presidents of both physical societies.
  5. The DPG office supports the Commission in its work (announcement on the website and in the negotiations, poster advertising in schools and travel expenses).

The rules of procedure were adopted by the Lise Meitner Lecture Commission on 10 March 2016 and can only be changed by an LML Commission meeting.