Dr. Peter Gölitz, Editor Emeritus of Angewandte Chemie, celebrates his 70th birthday on January 7, 2022. He also is the Founding Editor of Advanced Materials, Chemistry – A European Journal, Chemistry – An Asian Journal, and ChemCatChem, among many other journals. The personal interaction with authors and readers was of paramount importance to Peter Gölitz and the secret of his success. He was known for supporting authors, especially early in their careers, without neglecting the service to readers.
Peter Gölitz was born in Eschwege, Germany, in 1952. He studied chemistry at the University of Göttingen, Germany, where he received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1978 under the supervision of Armin de Meijere. After postdoctoral research at IBM, San José, CA, USA, and the University of Hamburg, Germany, he joined the Verlag Chemie (today Wiley-VCH) in Weinheim, Germany, in 1980.
From 1982 to 2017, he was Editor-in-Chief of Angewandte Chemie, the flagship journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh, German Chemical Society). He has developed Angewandte Chemie from a predominantly German journal to a truly international one. In addition, Peter Gölitz served as the leader of the chemistry journals group and has fostered connections with and supported the work of chemical societies around the world. He has also had a profound influence on the publisher’s book program.
Among other honors, Peter Gölitz received the Honorary Membership of the GDCh, which is the highest honor granted by the society, the Literature Prize of the German Chemical Industry Association in 1991, the Gmelin-Beilstein Medal of the GDCh in 2000, the President’s Award by John Wiley & Sons in 2000, the Médaille du Centenaire from the Société Chimique de France (SCF, French Chemical Society) in 2005, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Basel, Switzerland in 2011.
Selected Publications
- Cutting a Gordian Knot: The Founding of Chemistry—A European Journal,
Peter Gölitz,
Chemistry – A European Journal 2020, 26, 9–10.
https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201905081 - ChemBioChem@20—Some Reflections,
Alan R. Fersht, Peter Gölitz, Jean‐Marie Lehn,
ChemBioChem 2019, 21, 5–6.
https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.201900658 - 150 Years of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), New Board Members, and More (Editorial),
Peter Gölitz,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016.
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201611708 - Black Sheep, Points of Light, and Angewandte Chemie (Editorial),
Peter Gölitz.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015.
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201511089 - Champagne and Fireworks: Angewandte Chemie Celebrates Its Birthday (Editorial),
Peter Gölitz,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013.
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201209370
Also of Interest
- Peter Gölitz Receives Honorary Doctorate,
Angewandte Chemie International Edition,
ChemistryViews 2011.
Peter Gölitz, Editor-in-Chief of Angewandte Chemie, receives Honorary Doctorate from the University of Basel - What Makes a Great Chemistry Journal?,
Nachrichten aus der Chemie,
ChemistryViews 2010.
https://doi.org/10.1002/chemv.201000017
Peter Gölitz, Editor of Angew. Chem., discusses impact factors, dealing with criticism, and the future of science publishing
