Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Leipzig

The Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Leipzig (SAW) – founded on July 1, 1846, as the Royal Saxon Society of Sciences – stands in the tradition of the academy concept shaped by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz around 1700: Bringing together scientists from various disciplines for regular exchange of ideas, discussing methods and results of specialized research in interdisciplinary dialogue, pursuing long-term research projects, and thereby linking "theoriam cum praxi.“

Bringing together excellent scientists from wide range of fields

As a scholarly society, the SAW brings together excellent scientists from wide range of fields for regular discourse. Through interdisciplinary exchange, comprehensive scientific developments are considered and new research questions are inspired. The SAW selects its full members from the regions of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, complemented by corresponding members from across Germany and abroad. The academy has over 200 members who are organized into three classes: The Mathematical-Natural Sciences Class, the Philological-Historical Class and the Engineering Sciences Class.

The Young Forum of the Saxon Academy aims to promote young scientists in Central Germany more strongly and integrate them into the academic discourse. This gives outstanding young scholars the opportunity to participate in the academic dialogue and network across disciplinary boundaries in Central Germany.

In various public event series, experts from science and politics are invited to advance the public discourse on current social and scientific policy issues. Additionally, the academy has established structural commissions where scientific discourse on current problems is conducted.

Member of the Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities

The SAW is a member of the Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities. In the academies programme coordinated by the Union, the largest long-term research programme in humanities and cultural sciences in the Federal Republic of Germany, the SAW currently undertakes more than 20 long-term research projects — some of them with a duration of up to 25 years. The focus areas include the creation of scientific dictionaries, historical editions and source collections, musicological editions and digital research platforms.

Another key focus of the academy is the digital humanities, where the SAW coordinates numerous collaborative projects and contributes to the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). Over 100 staff members are employed at the SAW as part of these research projects.

Following an old tradition of scientific academies, the SAW awards prizes and honors, including and in collaboration with the city of Leipzig and Leipzig University, the Leipzig Science Prize, which recognizes scientists who meet the highest scientific standards and help to reinforce Leipzig's reputation as a city of sciences.