Max Delbrück

biophysicist (1906–1981)
Person human Q76807
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Max Delbrück was born on September 4, 1906, in Berlin[1][2][3][4][5][6][7], and died on March 10, 1981, in Pasadena[8][5][1]. He held citizenship in both Germany and the United States[9]. He was married to Mary Adeline Delbrück[10], and he was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum[6].

Professionally, he worked as a geneticist, university teacher, physicist, virologist, biophysicist, and astrophysicist. His primary academic field was biophysics. He was employed by Vanderbilt University from 1940 to 1947 and later by the California Institute of Technology[11].

During his career, he received numerous awards, including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, the Kimber Genetics Award, an EMBO Membership, a Fellowship in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Foreign Membership in the Royal Society, among others[12][13][14][15][16][17][18].

Max Delbrück

Summary

Max Delbrück is a human[1]. He was born in Berlin[2]. He was born on September 4, 1906[3]. He died in Pasadena[4]. He died on March 10, 1981[5]. He worked as a geneticist[6], university teacher[7], physicist[8], virologist[9], and biophysicist[10]. He ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (396 views/month, #7,237 of 1,000,298).[11]

Key Facts

  • Born in Berlin[2], Max Delbrück…
  • Max Delbrück died in Pasadena[4].
  • Max Delbrück was born on September 4, 1906[3].
  • Max Delbrück died on March 10, 1981[5].
  • Max Delbrück died on March 9, 1981[12].
  • Max Delbrück is buried at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum[13].
  • Max Delbrück's father was Hans Delbrück[14].
  • Max Delbrück's mother was Lina Thiersch[15].
  • Among Max Delbrück's spouses was Mary Adeline Delbrück[16].
  • A child of Max Delbrück was Tobias Delbruck[17].
  • Max Delbrück held citizenship in Germany[18].
  • Max Delbrück held citizenship in United States[19].
  • Max Delbrück's professions included geneticist[6].
  • Max Delbrück's professions included university teacher[7].
  • Max Delbrück worked as a physicist[8].
  • Max Delbrück worked as a virologist[9].
  • Max Delbrück's professions included biophysicist[10].
  • Max Delbrück's professions included astrophysicist[20].
  • Max Delbrück's field of work was biophysics[21].
  • Among Max Delbrück's employers was Vanderbilt University[22].
  • Max Delbrück was employed by California Institute of Technology[23].
  • Max Delbrück's education included a stint at University of Göttingen[24].
  • Max Delbrück's doctoral advisor was Max Born[25].
  • Max Delbrück received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine[26].
  • Max Delbrück received the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize[27].

Product Details

The following facts are restated verbatim from public-domain and CC0 open-data sources — every line is independently verifiable against the named source's catalog.

MusicBrainz — CC0 open music encyclopedia

  • Type: Person[28]

  • MusicBrainz ID: df880cb0-f6d5-45c0-acab-15073c345f2c[29]

Body

Origins and Family

Max Delbrück's place of birth was Berlin[2]. He was born on September 4, 1906[3]. His father was Hans Delbrück[14]. His mother was Lina Thiersch[15].

Education

Max Delbrück's education included a stint at University of Göttingen[24]. His doctoral advisor was Max Born[25].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include geneticist[6], university teacher[7], physicist[8], virologist[9], biophysicist[10], and astrophysicist[20]. Max Delbrück's field of work was biophysics[21]. Employers include Vanderbilt University[22], a private university[30], in United States[31], founded in 1873[32], headquartered in Nashville[33] and California Institute of Technology[23], a university[34], in United States[35], founded in 1891[36], headquartered in California[37]. Doctoral students include Roderick K. Clayton[38], a biophysicist[39], 1922–2011[40], of United States[41], awarded the Max Delbrück Prize in Biological Physics[42] and Lily Jan[43].

Recognition

Awards received include Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine[26], a science award[44], in Sweden[45], founded in 1901[46]; Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize[27], a science award[47], in United States[48], founded in 1967[49]; EMBO Membership[50], a fellowship award[51]; Kimber Genetics Award[52], a science award[53], in United States[54], founded in 1955[55]; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences[56], a fellowship award[57]; and Foreign Member of the Royal Society[58], a fellowship award[59], in United Kingdom[60].

Personal Life

Among Max Delbrück's spouses was Mary Adeline Delbrück[16]. A child of him was Tobias Delbruck[17].

Death and Burial

Recorded date of death include March 10, 1981[5] and March 9, 1981[12]. Max Delbrück passed away in Pasadena[4]. He is buried at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum[13].

Works and Contributions

Things named for Max Delbrück include Delbrück scattering[61]; Max Delbrück Prize in Biological Physics[62], an award[63], founded in 1981[64]; Max Delbrück Medal[65], an award[66], in Germany[67], founded in 1992[68]; and 15264 Delbrück[69], an asteroid[70].

Why It Matters

Max Delbrück ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (396 views/month, #7,237 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 26 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[71] He is known by 28 alternative names across languages and contexts.[72]

Entities named for him include Delbrück scattering[61]; Max Delbrück Prize in Biological Physics[62], an award[63], founded in 1981[64]; Max Delbrück Medal[65], an award[66], in Germany[67], founded in 1992[68]; and 15264 Delbrück[69], an asteroid[70].

His notable doctoral advisees include Martin Heisenberg[73], a geneticist[74], b. 1940[75], of Germany[76], awarded the Karl Ritter von Frisch Medal[77], specialised in neuroscience[78] and Lily Jan[79], a university teacher[80], b. 1947[81], of United States[82], awarded the Gruber Prize in Neuroscience[83].

FAQs

Where was Max Delbrück born?

Max Delbrück's place of birth was Berlin[2].

Where did Max Delbrück die?

Max Delbrück passed away in Pasadena[4].

Who were Max Delbrück's parents?

Max Delbrück's father was Hans Delbrück[14]. Max Delbrück's mother was Lina Thiersch[15].

Who was Max Delbrück married to?

Max Delbrück's spouses include Mary Adeline Delbrück[16].

What did Max Delbrück do for work?

Max Delbrück worked as geneticist[6], university teacher[7], physicist[8], virologist[9], and biophysicist[10].

Where did Max Delbrück go to school?

Max Delbrück was educated at University of Göttingen[24].

What awards did Max Delbrück receive?

Honors received include Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine[26], Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize[27], EMBO Membership[50], and Kimber Genetics Award[52].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  3. [14] . wikidata.org.
  4. [15] . wikidata.org.
  5. [16] . Geni.com. wikidata.org.
  6. [18] . wikidata.org.
  7. [19] . Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  8. [17] . wikidata.org.
  9. [24] . wikidata.org.
  10. [21] . wikidata.org.
  11. [6] . wikidata.org.
  12. [7] . wikidata.org.
  13. [8] . wikidata.org.
  14. [9] . wikidata.org.
  15. [10] . wikidata.org.
  16. [20] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  17. [22] . as.vanderbilt.edu. Retrieved . as.vanderbilt.edu. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  18. [23] . wikidata.org.
  19. [13] . Find a Grave. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  20. [26] . nobelprize.org. nobelprize.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  21. [27] . cuimc.columbia.edu. cuimc.columbia.edu. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  22. [50] . wikidata.org.
  23. [52] . nasonline.org. nasonline.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  24. [56] . wikidata.org.
  25. [58] . Complete List of Royal Society Fellows 1660-2007. wikidata.org.
  26. [25] . history.aip.org. history.aip.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  27. [38] . wikidata.org.
  28. [43] . wikidata.org.
  29. [3] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  30. [5] . Delbrück, Max (04 September 1906–10 March 1981), physicist-turned-molecular biologist. Retrieved . biography.yourdictionary.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  31. [12] . nobelprize.org. Retrieved . data.nobelprize.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.

Product details (FDA / USDA / NHTSA public-domain catalog data)

  1. [28] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  2. [29] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [73] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [79] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [61] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [62] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [65] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [69] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [48] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [51] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [60] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [74] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [75] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [76] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [77] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [78] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [80] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [81] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [82] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [83] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  36. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  37. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  38. [67] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  39. [68] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  40. [70] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [71] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [72] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Max Delbrück. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/max-delbruck
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BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_max-delbruck_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Max Delbrück}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/max-delbruck}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-10}}
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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 11d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-21 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation geneticist, university teacher, physicist +4
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/32152|batch #32152]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (34)"
  2. 26d ago · MarisDreshmanisBot bot · 2026-05-06 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Languages spoken, written or signed German, English
    Sibling Emmi Bonhoeffer
    Employer Vanderbilt University, California Institute of Technology
    Nominated for Nobel Prize in Physics
    + 37 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update-languages:0||56 */ Add multilingual descriptions (56 languages) — Task 12 (Nobel laureates) — deterministic from P106 (occupation) + P27 (citizenship) labels, no machine transla"
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