Primo Levi. His legacy still bonds chemistry and conscience.

Today would have been Primo Levi's birthday. Chemist, Holocaust survivor, and one of the most powerful literary voices of the 20th century, Levi returned again and again to a central insight in his work: chemistry is never neutral. It carries the weight of human responsibility.

 This is the spirit behind the Primo Levi Award, jointly presented by the Società Chimica Italiana (SCI), the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh), and the Centro Internazionale di Studi Primo Levi. Established in 2017, the award reflects a shared commitment between the German and Italian chemistry communities, rooted in history and dedicated to science as a force for cooperation rather than division.

Last December, Nobel Laureate Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn received the award in Rome. Lehn, pioneer of supramolecular chemistry, was honored not only for his scientific achievements, but also for his role as an ambassador of science across borders, playing a key part in overcoming historical divisions and building a cohesive European chemistry community after the Cold War.

His own words capture what made him so fitting a laureate: "Science is a vector of peace, development, and progress. It is universal. It should be shared universally."

A belief that resonates directly with the spirit in which SCI and GDCh established this award: chemistry as a bridge, not a border, and a continued symbol of the cooperation between Italy and Germany.

On this day, we look forward to soon sharing the speeches and videos from the ceremony, carrying Primo Levi's legacy forward.

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