at the
Berlin State Library located
Unter den Linden 8. Today the building hosts historical projects of the BBAW and its library. '' or ADW.
Society of Sciences (1700–52) The roots of the BBAW can be traced to the Society of Sciences of the Elector of Brandenburg (), founded in 1700 by
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz under the patronage of
Frederick I of Prussia. The institution was created on the principle of uniting the natural sciences and the humanities, making it a prototype for other academies across Europe. as well as modern European mathematics.
Royal Academy (1752–1812) Under
Frederick the Great, an enthusiastic patron, the Academy rose to even wider significance. In 1752 it merged with the
Nouvelle Société Littéraire to form the
Royal Academy of Sciences (). The new Academy attracted prominent scientists and philosophers, including
Immanuel Kant, who were able publish writings which would have been censored elsewhere in Europe. While it was an important center in the
Age of Enlightenment, due to its royal patronage the Academy did not enjoy complete freedom. Political writings in its
Proceedings throughout the 18th century argued the merits of monarchies over republics, warned against the
French Revolution, and defended
Prussia against accusations that it was
despotic.
Royal Prussian Academy (1812-1918) Around 1812 the academy was officially renamed
Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences. The
von Humboldt brothers reorganized the Academy along more open lines. Prominent critical thinkers such as
Theodor Mommsen,
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling,
Friedrich Schleiermacher were all active members for many decades.
Prussian Academy (1918–33) With the collapse of the German monarchy in 1918, the Royal Academy was renamed the
Prussian Academy of Sciences (). During this period it rose to international fame and its members included top academics in their fields such as
Albert Einstein,
Max Planck,
Hermann Diels, and
Ernst Bloch. The mathematician
Theodor Vahlen, proponent of the anti-Semitic
Deutsche Mathematik movement, was appointed provisionally president by the Reich Ministry of Education. In 1939 Vahlen was reconfirmed by the Ministry as acting President, but not elected by the Plenum of the Academy. Vahlen resigned in 1943 and withdrew to Prague. A presidential election in accordance with the statutes had still not taken place by the end of the war. By war's end the Academy's reputation was damaged and many of its prominent scientists were stigmatized. Planck died in 1947.
Modern history (1946–present) Negotiations of the Academy with the SMAD were successful. It was re-established upon the SMAD Order No. 187 of July 1, 1946, Leibniz's 300th birthday under a new name with a new structure and role: the Academy was to become the most eminent scientific institution in Germany and for all parts of Germany. Institutes were added to the Academy and new ones founded. Re-opened by the Russians in 1946 with the new name
German Academy of Sciences at Berlin (), in 1949 it moved to the former Prussian Maritime Trade Company building on the
Gendarmenmarkt. The number of members in additional more applied classes was increased from 70 to 120 and the number of staff members from 130 (1946) to 1,500 (1951). In 1972 the Academy was renamed the
Academy of Sciences of the German Democratic Republic () or
AdW, by which time it had over 400 members and 24,000 employees. After
German reunification the AdW was dissolved in December 1991 as part of the German Unification Treaty of October 3, 1991 due to its controversial role in support of the
East German regime. In August 1992, the BBAW was constituted by an interstate treaty between the
landtags of Berlin and Brandenburg using the original model of the old Prussian Academy. According to the treaty the society of the members of the AdW was separated from the rest of the academy. Institutes of the Academy were evaluated and in part taken over by other institutions, in part dissolved. Buildings, traditional projects, archives and libraries were continued by the BBAW. Today its headquarters are located at the former AdW building, with special projects conducted at the old Prussian Academy on the
Unter den Linden. It also has a third office in
Potsdam. ==Research==