Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is the principal organization for scientific research in Germany. The society distributes government funds for research in the natural and social sciences. It supports about 80 research institutes in a wide variety of fields and employs thousands of scientists. The society also maintains libraries and training institutions. Numerous winners of Nobel Prizes have been members of the society.
The Max Planck Society, formerly called the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, was founded in 1911 by the German philosopher Adolf von Harnack. In 1948, the society changed its name to honor Max Planck, a German physicist who helped formulate the quantum theory. The society publishes a journal, Die Naturwissenschaften (The Natural Sciences).
