# Fame.am profile — machine-readable export
# Canonical URL: https://fame.am/person/gunter-wachtershauser
# Generated: 2026-08-14T23:15:16.169Z

schema: https://schema.org/Person
url: "https://fame.am/person/gunter-wachtershauser"
name: "Günter Wächtershäuser"
slug: "gunter-wachtershauser"
description: "Günter Wächtershäuser is a German chemist turned patent lawyer who is widely known for his work on the origin of life, and in particular his iron-sulfur world theory, a theory that life on Earth has hydrothermal origins. The hypothesis proposes that early life may have formed on the surface of iron sulfide minerals, hence the name. It was developed by retrodiction from extant biochemistry in conjunction with chemical experiments. The theory is consistent with the hypothesis that life originated near seafloor hydrothermal vents. He was encouraged and supported by science philosopher Karl R. Popper to publish his ideas."
tagline: "German biochemist and patent attorney (born 1938)"
image: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Drwachteshauser1-signed.jpg?width=1200"
gender: "male"
country:
  name: "Germany"
  isoCode: "DE"
category:
  name: "Scientists"
  slug: "scientists"
profileType:
  name: "Scientist"
  slug: "scientist"
  entityType: "https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q39631"
birthDate: "1938"
livingStatus: "LIVING"
scores:
  popularity:           42.6
  momentum:             0
  historical:           9.812852
  currentAttention:     0
  sourceConfidence:     60
  profileCompleteness:  70
  trendDirection:       "STABLE"
ranks:
  global:   null
  country:  null
  category: null
sources:
  - url: "https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A0%B9%E7%89%B9%C2%B7%E7%93%A6%E8%B5%AB%E7%89%B9%E7%BB%8D%E6%B3%BD"
    title: "根特·瓦赫特绍泽"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%B1_%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B1"
    title: "جونتير واتشتيرشاوسير"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnter_W%C3%A4chtersh%C3%A4user"
    title: "Günter Wächtershäuser"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnter_W%C3%A4chtersh%C3%A4user"
    title: "Günter Wächtershäuser"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnter_W%C3%A4chtersh%C3%A4user"
    title: "Günter Wächtershäuser"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%DA%AF%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1_%D9%88%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%87%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B2%D8%B1"
    title: "گونتر وشترزهویزر"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%92%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%98%D7%A8_%D7%95%D7%9B%D7%98%D7%A8%D7%A1%D7%94%D7%95%D7%99%D7%96%D7%A8"
    title: "גינטר וכטרסהויזר"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnter_W%C3%A4chtersh%C3%A4user"
    title: "Günter Wächtershäuser"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnter_W%C3%A4chtersh%C3%A4user"
    title: "Günter Wächtershäuser"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnter_W%C3%A4chtersh%C3%A4user"
    title: "Günter Wächtershäuser"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnter_W%C3%A4chtersh%C3%A4user"
    title: "Günter Wächtershäuser"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65585"
    title: "Wikidata"
    type:  "WIKIDATA"

# bio (long form, separated for readability)
bio: |
  Imported from discovery source: wikidata-dump