Kurt Mothes (1900-1983)

Kurt Mothes was born on 3^rd November 1900 in Plauen in the Vogtland region. As a young boy, he explored the flora and fauna of his home. In 1918, he began his apprenticeship at the Johannes pharmacy in Plauen and later, in 1921, enrolled at the University of Leipzig. After passing the state examination in pharmacy, he graduated in August 1925 under the guidance of plant physiologist Wilhelm Ruhland with a chemistry-centered thesis titled "On the Metabolism of Acid Amides in Higher Plants". Three years later, in 1928, Mothes qualified as lecturer for general and pharmaceutical botany with a habiliation dissertation on "Nicotine Metabolism in the Tobacco Plant". In these studies the link was established with secondary plant metabolites, in particular alkaloids.

Until 1934 he worked as a lecturer (Privatdozent) in Halle, then in 1934 he left Halle and went to the University of Königsberg. In 1935 he was offered a chair and appointed professor of botany and pharmacognosy and became the director of the institute. In 1945, Mothes had to leave Königsberg as a Russian prisoner of war.

After his dismissal in 1949 he built up the chemical-physiological department at the Institute of Cultivated Plant Research in Gatersleben. From 1951 to 1960 he was professor of pharmacognosy, from 1956 to 1966 professor of general botany and from 1963 to 1966 professor of the biochemistry of plants. A significant event for science in the whole of Germany was his election as president of the German Academy of Natural Scientists, the "Leopoldina", in 1954. He was a strong president, who presided courageously over the fortunes of this venerable institution for 20 years, reformed what is the oldest academy of natural science and medicine in the world, and set new standards both scientifically and organisationally.

In 1957 Professor Mothes moved to Halle for good. On January 1st 1958 the Institute of the Biochemistry of Plants was founded as "Arbeitsstelle für Biochemie der Pflanzen" with Kurt Mothes as the founder and first director.  In the Weinberg district of Halle, building work began on what is today the Institute of Plant Biochemistry, and the first construction stage was officially completed in May 1960 and the new research institute was named "Institute of Biochemistry of Plants" of the Academy of Sciences. In 1966 Prof. Mothes became a professor emeritus by the University and he remained director of the Academy Institute until the end of 1967. He was president of the Leopoldina up to 1974. Kurt Mothes died in February of 1983.