Regine Kahmann received the Communitas Prize from the Max Planck Society
The award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of the former director of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg
At the February meeting of the Scientific Council of the Max Planck Society, President Patrick Cramer also honours those who have shown particular commitment to the Max Planck Society. Among this year's award winners is Prof. Dr. Regine Kahmann, former director at the Max Planck Institute and professor of genetics in the Department of Biology at Philipps University in Marburg.
The Latin term “communitas,” meaning community or public spirit, signals that special efforts for the good of society as a whole are recognized and appreciated—for example, long-term committee work, conflict mediation, representation of MPG interests in external boards, or special efforts to promote good cooperation with universities.
Despite their retirement, they continue to work tirelessly for the Max Planck Society: Regine Kahmann (MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology), Heinz Wässle (MPI for Brain Research) and Lothar Willmitzer (Ernst Strüngmann Institute). "You three are role models for us all, as you put your heart and soul into our Institutes - and continue this commitment even after your retirement," said Max Planck President Patrick Cramer in his laudatory speech.
Regine Kahmann has repeatedly acted at other Institutes and navigated them through difficult waters. "As a mediator and ombudswoman, she embodies calm, fairness and restraint - qualities that she also brought to other Institutes with unwavering empathy," emphasized Cramer.
Heinz Wässle has made a significant contribution to the study of the history of brain research at the Max Planck Society and the Kaiser Wilhelm Society – the MPG’s predecessor organization. His work on the ongoing victim research project is helping to give thousands of people who were victims of euthanasia back their names and stories.
Lothar Willmitzer stepped in without hesitation as acting director in 2024 when the privately funded Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI), which is associated with the MPG, suddenly found itself without leadership. This was no easy task: in an extremely tense situation and under intense media scrutiny, he succeeded in stabilizing the institute again. His efforts contributed significantly to the ESI's integration into the MPG in January 2026.
Prof. Dr. Regine Kahmann was director of the Organismic Interactions Department at the Max Planck Institute in Marburg from 2000 to 2019 and professor of genetics at Philipps University in Marburg from 2001 to 2019. She currently works as an ombudsperson at the University of Marburg and the MPI in Marburg.
Her research focuses on the fungus Ustilago maydis, the pathogen that causes corn smut. This plant disease destroys up to 20 percent of the corn harvest worldwide every year. Through decades of research, the Max Planck researcher has elucidated the molecular basis of this disease, thereby laying the groundwork for combating this and related plant diseases. She is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, a foreign member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the Royal Society, and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and an honorary member of the German Botanical Society.
