The German Mineralogical Society awards the 2025 Doris Schachner Medal to Professor Friedhelm von Blanckenburg in recognition of his outstanding contributions to promoting the visibility and public appreciation of mineralogy throughout the German-speaking world.
Friedhelm von Blanckenburg studied geology and paleontology with a specialization in petrology at the Technical University of Berlin. He completed his doctoral thesis at ETH Zurich on “Isotope Geochemical and Geochronological Case Studies of Alpine Magmatism and Metamorphism: The Bergell Intrusion and the Tauern Window.” This work laid the foundation for his lifelong passion for isotope geochemistry.
Following postdoctoral appointments at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford, he returned to Switzerland as a lecturer and research associate at the University of Bern, where he completed his habilitation. During this period, his scientific interests expanded beyond classical geoscience topics to include the application of novel isotope tracers for determining the residence times of elements in seawater.
He continued this line of research as Professor of Geochemistry at Leibniz University Hannover. His pioneering work on determining weathering and erosion rates using cosmogenic nuclides became one of his defining research achievements. At the same time, he advanced analytical methods for the precise measurement of isotope ratios of previously underutilized elements, including molybdenum, chromium, iron, and silicon.
He subsequently moved to the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam while simultaneously accepting a professorship at Freie Universität Berlin. At the GFZ, he headed the Section for Earth Surface Geochemistry, and he now leads this research group at Freie Universität Berlin. During this period, his research increasingly focused on the biological dimensions of Earth system science.
As a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Academia Europaea, and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Friedhelm von Blanckenburg played a key role in preparing the 2022 strategic report Earth System Science – Research for a Changing Earth, which outlined a framework for strengthening the geosciences through new structural and scientific strategies.
For the DMG, he served for three years as co-editor of the internationally renowned journal Elements. In this role, he represented the Society on the international stage and made a substantial contribution to its scientific reputation.
As President of the DMG in 2021–2022, he also served on the executive board of the German Geosciences Association (DVGeo). During his presidency, he worked actively to strengthen collaboration among the German geoscience societies while consistently emphasizing the importance of the crystallographic and materials science dimensions of mineralogy.
To address current scientific and societal challenges, he initiated the publication of the white paper Future Research in the Geosciences, presenting a vision for the future development of geoscientific research. Within the DVGeo, he strongly advocated for the establishment of a working group on collaborative research projects, with the aim of ensuring that mineralogy plays a central role in addressing major challenges facing the modern geosciences.
A particular concern throughout his career has been the integration of all branches of mineralogy, especially the growing importance of materials science for the energy transition. Trained originally as a geochemist with strong foundations in geology, paleontology, and petrology, he has developed into a scientist with exceptional vision for the broader interconnections within the Earth system.
Equally noteworthy is his commitment to communicating mineralogical research to the wider public. He has presented the results of his research through scientific films, often with a characteristic sense of humor, and has helped make complex scientific topics accessible to broader audiences.
He also appeared on the well-known German science television program Scobel on 3sat, contributing to a discussion on the Anthropocene and representing the mineralogical sciences.
By awarding the Doris Schachner Medal, the German Mineralogical Society recognizes Professor Friedhelm von Blanckenburg for his outstanding contributions to strengthening the recognition of mineralogy within scientific societies and academies. Through his leadership and vision, he has significantly advanced the role of mineralogy in addressing pressing questions related to climate change and has successfully brought mineralogical research to the attention of a broad public.
— Gerhard Franz · Berlin
