Fritz Haber

Fritz Haber transformed industrial chemistry into a state-scale force, his work on the Haber–Bosch process made synthetic ammonia commercially viable and helped avert global food shortages. During World War I he organized and directed Germany’s chemical warfare research and deployment, controversially applying laboratory science to lethal military ends and provoking lasting ethical condemnation. As a scientific leader he combined technical brilliance and administrative drive with strong nationalist convictions, leaving a legacy of immense beneficial impact for agriculture intertwined with profound moral culpability.