Early Years

Born in 1881 at Höchst – Frankfurt Germany, Hans Fischer was the son of Dr. Eugen Fischer, director of the firm Kalle & Co, a company in the south western city of Wiesbaden. Fischer’s father also held the post of Privatdozent at the Technical High School. Fischer began his studies at a primary school in Stuttgart. This was followed by grammar school in Wiesbaden. Fischer studied both chemistry and medicine simultaneously at the University of Lausanne, followed by the University of Marburg. It was at Marburg that he obtained his degree in Chemistry in 1904. Two years later he received a license for Medicine from Munich. He received his M.D. under F. von Müller. He held the position of Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich.

Research

Fischer started work in the Second Medical Clinic in Munich while spending time at the First Berlin Chemical Institute. Here he worked under Emil Fischer. In 1911, Fischer went back to Munich where he took up a post as a lecturer on internal medicine.

Fischer’s research examined the components of the pigments in blood, bile, and also leaves. He also did significant research regarding pyrrole pigments and their natural synthesis. Fischer synthesized bilirubin which was an important discovery. Bilirubin produced in the liver by breakdown of heme. Heme is a component found in haemoglobin found in red blood cells. In 1930 Fischer was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry acknowledging his contribution to biochemistry.