The name Ostwald is associated with colloid science and the Kolloid-Gesellschaft in a number of ways. Probably the best-known phenomenon that bears the name Ostwald, Ostwald ripening, was first described in 1897 by Wilhelm Friedrich Ostwald (September 2, 1853 – April 4, 1932), one of the founders of physical chemistry. His son Wolfgang Ostwald (May 27, 1883 – November 22, 1943) was one of the initiators and founders of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft and was its chairman from 1922 until his death in 1943. He was editor of the “Kolloid-Zeitschrift” and the “Kolloid-Chemische Beihefte”; Also known is his 1914 published standard work “The World of Neglected Dimensions”.
The Kolloid-Gesellschaft can award the Ostwald Prize for outstanding achievements in the field of pure or applied colloid science. This is primarily intended to honor the lifetime scientific achievements of outstanding specialists. The award consists of a certificate and a commemorative coin.
Award winners since 1961
- 1961 Otto Kratky Graz (AUT)
- 1963 F. Horst Müller, Marburg
- 1965 Ulrich Hofmann, Heidelberg
- 1971 Walter Noll, Leverkusen
- 1973 Günther Rehage, Clausthal-Zellerfeld
- 1975 Bun-ichi-Tamamushi, Tokio (JPN)
- 1979 Ron H. Ottewill, Bristol (GB)
- 1981 Ervin Wolfram, Budapest (HUN)
- 1989 Jan Theodor Gerad Overbeek, Utrecht (NL)
- 1991 Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Paris (FRA)
- 1993 Wolfgang Helfrich, Berlin
- 1995 Hans Sonntag, Berlin | Heinz Hoffmann, Bayreuth
- 1997 Stig Friberg Potsdam, N. Y. (USA)
- 1998 Gerhard Findenegg, Berlin
- 1999 A. Wilhelm Neumann, Toronto (CAN)
- 2001 Erich Sackmann, München
- 2004 Gerhard Lagaly, Kiel
- 2005 Barry William Ninham, Physiker, Florenz (IT) / (AUS)
- 2007 Martien Cohen-Stuart, Wageningen (NL)
- 2009 Helmuth Möhwald, Potsdam
- 2011 Friedrich Kremer, Leipzig
- 2015 Matthias Ballauff, Berlin
- 2017 Reinhard Lipowsky, Potsdam
- 2019 Dominique Langevin, Paris (FR)
- 2021 Hans-Jürgen Butt, Mainz
- 2022 Paul Mulvaney, Melbourne