Editing Max Planck Medal (section)

{{Short description|Physics award}}
[[Image:Max-Planck-und-Albert-Einstein.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The inaugural award: [[Max Planck]] (left) presents [[Albert Einstein]] (right) with the Max Planck medal of the [[Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft|German Physical Society]], 28 June 1929, in [[Berlin]], [[Germany]].]]

The '''Max Planck Medal''' is the highest award of the [[German Physical Society]] {{lang|de|(Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft)}}, the world's largest organization of physicists, for extraordinary achievements in [[theoretical physics]]. The prize has been awarded annually since 1929, with few exceptions, and usually to a single person. The winner is awarded with a gold medal and hand-written parchment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dpg-physik.de/auszeichnungen/dpg-preise/max-planck-medaille/preistraeger|title=Official list of recipients of the Max-Planck medal|website=German Physical Society|language=de|access-date=March 23, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dpg-physik.de/auszeichnungen/dpg-preise/max-planck-medaille/videoportraits|title=Videoportraits of some recent recipients|website=German Physical Society|language=de|access-date=March 23, 2021}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.dpg-physik.de/auszeichnungen/dpg-preise/max-planck-medaille|title=Historical background and present by-law|website=German Physical Society|language=de|access-date=March 23, 2021}}</ref>

In 1943 it was not possible to manufacture the gold medal because the [[Berlin]] foundry was hit by a bomb. The board of directors of the German Physical Society decided to manufacture the medals in a substitute metal and to deliver the gold medals later.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.teleschach.de/archiv/ehrungen_f_hund.htm#mp|title=Replacement of the Max Planck Medal in 1943|website=teleschach.de|language=de|access-date=March 23, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|editor=Walter Grotrian|chapter=Verleihung der Planck-Medaille an Pascual Jordan und Friedrich Hund|title=Verhandlungen der deutschen physikalischen Gesellschaft|publisher=Friedrich Vieweg & Sohn|page=20|date=April 30, 1943|language=de}}</ref>

The highest award of the German Physical Society for outstanding results in experimental physics is the [[Stern–Gerlach Medal]].<ref>{{Cite web|language=de|url=https://www.dpg-physik.de/auszeichnungen/dpg-preise/stern-gerlach-medaille|title=Medaglia Stern-Gerlach|access-date=March 23, 2021|website=German Physical Society}}</ref>