The Abraham Gottlob Werner Gold Medal, awarded for outstanding services to the advancement of the mineralogical sciences, was presented for the final time in 2022.
The medal was awarded to Andreas Nägele (Schweizerbart Science Publishers) in recognition of his exceptional service to the German Mineralogical Society.
In 2009, Andreas Nägele succeeded his father, Erhard Nägele, and his grandfather, Julius Nägele, as Treasurer of the German Mineralogical Society. In this role, he was responsible for collecting membership fees, managing the Society's endowment funds, overseeing the use of financial resources, including reporting to the tax authorities, and maintaining the Society's membership records. Through his dedicated and highly effective work, he ensured the smooth operation of one of the Society's most essential functions.
His commitment to the Society, however, extended far beyond these administrative responsibilities. He consistently supported the interests of the DMG through personal engagement, regular participation in Executive Board meetings, and the thoughtful contribution of practical solutions to procedural matters.
Among his most significant achievements was his long-standing commitment to scientific publishing in mineralogy and the geosciences. Schweizerbart Science Publishers served as publisher of the European Journal of Mineralogy (EJM) from its foundation in 1988 until 2019. The journal united the publications of four national mineralogical societies (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) and succeeded the long-running Fortschritte der Mineralogie, originally established by Schweizerbart in 1911. During this period, Andreas Nägele successfully guided the EJM as publisher and was instrumental in ensuring its financial stability and long-term success. As publisher, he served as the vital link between the journal's Managing Committee, the production process, and the international scientific community, particularly the German Mineralogical Society. Schweizerbart Science Publishers—and with it Andreas Nägele—also continues to publish the Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie (Journal of Mineralogy and Geochemistry), the oldest mineralogical journal in the German-speaking world, founded in 1806.
By awarding the Abraham Gottlob Werner Gold Medal to Andreas Nägele, the German Mineralogical Society honored a most deserving final recipient of this distinction in its original form.
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Gerhard Brey ∙ Frankfurt
