| 
 Year 
 | 
 Recipient 
 | 
 Institute 
 | 
 Title of Publication 
 | 
 Publication 
 | 
| 2025 | 
Prof. Dr. Anna-Christina Eilers | 
MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research | 
The Growth of Supermassive Black Holes | 
 | 
| 2024 | 
Dr. Matthias Kluge | 
MPE, Garching | 
The Exploration of the Optical Low-Surface-Brightness Universe | 
 | 
| 2023 | 
Dr. Dominika Wylezalek | 
Universität Heidelberg | 
Tracing AGN feedback across cosmic time and from small to large scales | 
 | 
| 2022 | 
Dr. Thomas Siegert | 
JMU Würzburg | 
Positron annihilation as an astrophysical messenger | 
 | 
| 2021 | 
Dr. Fabian Schneider | 
Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies | 
Turbulent Lives of Stars | 
 | 
| 2020 | 
Dr. Paola Pinilla | 
MPIA, Heidelberg | 
First steps of planet formation in the ALMA and JWST era | 
 | 
| 2019 | 
Dr. Eduardo Bañados | 
MPIA, Heidelberg | 
The birth of the first massive galaxies and black holes | 
 | 
| 2018 | 
Dr. Else Starkenburg | 
AIP, Potsdam | 
Galactic archaeology to its limits | 
 | 
| 2017 | 
Dr. Diederik Kruijssen | 
ARI, ZAH Heidelberg | 
The Physics driving the Molecular Cloud Lifecycle during Galaxy Formation and Evolution | 
 | 
| 2016 | 
Dr. Karin Lind | 
MPIA, Heidelberg | 
Galactic Archaeology with very metal-poor stars | 
 | 
| 2015 | 
Dr. Ivan Minchev | 
AIP, Potsdam | 
Constraining the Milky Way assembly history with Galactic Archaeology  | 
RMA 28, 2 AN Vol. 337, 703 (2016)  | 
| 2014 | 
Dr. Stephan Geier | 
ESO, Garching | 
 Hot subdwarfs: Small stars marking important events in stellar evolution 
 | 
RMA 27, 2 AN Vol. 336, 437 (2015)  | 
| 2013 | 
Dr. Frank Bigiel | 
ZAH, Heidelberg | 
The interstellar medium and star formation in nearby galaxies | 
RMA 26, 2 AN Vol. 335, 470 (2014)  | 
| 2012 | 
 Dr. Cecilia Scannapieco | 
AIP, Potsdam | 
 Cosmological simulations of galaxy formation: Successes and challenges in the era of supercomputers 
 | 
RMA 25, 2 AN Vol. 334, 499 (2013)  | 
| 2011 | 
Dr. Thorsten Lisker | 
ZAH, Heidelberg | 
 Dwarf galaxies in observed and simulated galaxy clusters 
 | 
RMA 24, 2 AN Vol. 333, 405 (2012)  | 
| 
 2010 
 | 
Dr. Maryam Modjaz | 
UC Berkeley (CA, USA) | 
Stellar Forensics with the Supernova-GRB Connection | 
RMA 23, 11 (2011) | 
| 
 2009 
 | 
Dr. Anna Frebel | 
Cambridge (MA, USA) | 
Stellar archaeology: Exploring the Universe with Metal-poor stars | 
RMA 22, 53 (2010) | 
 | 
Dr. Sonja Schuh | 
Goettingen | 
Pulsations and planets: The asteroseismology-extrasolar-planet Connection | 
RMA 22, 29 (2010) | 
| 
 2008 
 | 
Dr. Andreas Koch | 
Los Angeles (CA, USA) | 
Complexity in Small-scale Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies | 
RMA 21, 39 (2009) | 
| 
 2007 
 | 
Dr. Henrik Beuther | 
MPIA, Heidelberg | 
Massive Star Formation: The Power of Interferometry | 
RMA 20, 15 (2008) | 
 | 
Dr. Ansgar Reiners | 
Universität Göttingen | 
At the Bottom of the Main Sequence: Activity and Magnetic Fields Beyond the Threshold to Complete Convection | 
RMA 20, 41 (2008) | 
| 
 2005 
 | 
Dr. Philipp Richter | 
Argelander-Institut, Bonn | 
High-Velocity Clouds and the Local Intergalactic Medium | 
RMA 19, 31 (2006) | 
| 
 2004 
 | 
Dr. Falk Herwig | 
Los Alamos (NM, USA) | 
The Second Stars | 
RMA 18, 21 (2005) | 
| 
 2003 
 | 
Dr. Luis R. Bellot Rubio | 
Freiburg | 
Sunspots as seen in Polarized Light | 
RMA 17, 21 (2004) | 
| 
 2002 
 | 
Dr. Ralf Klessen | 
Potsdam | 
Star Formation in Turbulent Interstellar Gas | 
RMA 16, 23 (2003) | 
| 
 2001 
 | 
Dr. Stefanie Komossa | 
MPE, Garching | 
X-ray Evidence for Supermassive Black Holes at the Centers of Nearby, Non-active Galaxies | 
RMA 15, 27 (2002) | 
| 
 2000 
 | 
Dr. Heino Falcke | 
MPIfR, Bonn | 
The Silent Majority - Jets and Radio Cores from Low-Luminosity Black Holes | 
RMA 14, 15 (2001)  | 
| 
 1999 
 | 
Dr. Markus Kissler-Patig | 
ESO, Garching | 
Extragalactic Globular Cluster Systems: A new Perspective on Galaxy Formation and Evolution | 
RMA 13, 13 (2000)  | 
| 
 1998 
 | 
Dr. Ralph Neuhäuser | 
MPE, Garching | 
The Spatial Distribution and Origin of the Widely Dispersed ROSAT T Tauri Stars | 
RMA 12, 27 (1999)  | 
| 
 1997 
 | 
Dr. Ralf Napiwotzki | 
Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte, Bamberg | 
From Central Stars of Planetary Nebulae to White Dwarfs | 
RMA 11, 3 (1998)  | 
| 
 1996 
 | 
Dr. Eva K. Grebel | 
Universität Würzburg | 
Star Formation Histories of Local Group Dwarf Galaxies | 
RMA 10, 29 (1997)  | 
 | 
Dr. Matthias L. Bartelmann | 
Garching | 
On Arcs in X-ray Clusters | 
RMA 10, 61 (1997)  | 
| 
 1995 
 | 
Dr. Karl Mannheim | 
Goettingen | 
Gamma Rays from Compact Objects | 
RMA 9, 18 (1996)  | 
| 
 1994 
 | 
Dr. Christoph U. Keller | 
Tucson (AZ, USA) | 
Properties of solar magnetic fields from speckle polarimetry | 
RMA 8, 27 (1995)  | 
| 
 1993 
 | 
Dr. Andreas Burkert | 
MPA, Garching | 
On the Formation of Elliptical Galaxies | 
RMA 7, 191 (1994)  | 
| 
 1992 
 | 
Dr. Joachim Puls | 
Universität München | 
Radiation driven winds of Hot Stars - some remarks on stationary models and spectrum synthesis in time-dependent simulations | 
RMA 6, 271 (1993)  | 
| 
 1990 
 | 
Dr. Reinhard W. Hanuschik | 
Ruhr-Universität Bochum | 
The Expanding Envelope of Supernova 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud | 
RMA 4, 233 (1991)  | 
| 
 1989 
 | 
Dr. Norbert Langer | 
Universitäts-Sternwarte Göttingen | 
Evolution of Massive Stars | 
RMA 2, 306 (1989)  |