Prof. Dr. Ulman Lindenberger is a German-Italian psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist and Director of the Center for Lifespan Psychology at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, and a former Vice President of the Max Planck Society (MPS). In September 2025, he stepped down as Scientific Managing Director of the Minerva Stiftung after a five-year term and was replaced by current MPS Vice President Dr. Christian Doeller.
Minerva, under the auspices of the MPS and together with the German Federal Ministry of Education, has been supporting and advancing German-Israeli academic collaborations in the sciences and the humanities through three pillar programs: dozens of research centers across Israeli institutions of higher education, which operate for a variable term of years; a fellowship program open to young German scientists conducting research in Israel, and young Israeli scientists in Germany; and the Minerva Weizmann Program, which offers more than €3.5 million annually to Weizmann scientists.
Ulman Lindenberger visited the Weizmann Institute campus in October 2025 for a celebration marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany. After giving his farewell speech, he sat down for a short interview about his partnership with Israeli science.
Q: Congratulations on a successful five years at the helm of Minerva, and for playing a key role in the 60-year scientific relationship between Israel and Germany. Why was it important for you to visit Israel at this milestone?
A: One reason was indeed to celebrate this milestone. But I also wanted to see the Weizmann campus after the missile attacks. I am amazed about the speed of the clean-up and reconstruction. It shows a strong will to do science, even in the face of such adversity.
Q: Tell me about your first trip to Israel.
A: I have visited Israel for conferences before, but my visit as Minerva Director was in 2021, and it lasted for nearly three weeks. It provided me with rich exposure to Minerva activities across Israeli universities, and I traveled the country a bit. I saw research activities in Minerva-funded centers in areas from human rights to ecology, microturbines, German history, and more. It was an eye-opening experience because I learned about the enormous richness of academic life in Israel, which those of you who live here may simply take for granted. I also realized that the Minerva Foundation, with its three pillars in Israel, is actually able to capture an appreciable part of this richness, and contribute to it in a small but meaningful manner.
Q: You and your Minerva colleagues have stood by Israel throughout the war that began on October 7. How have the last few years been for you in relation to your work with Israel?
A: Actually, the year 2023 started with an upbeat feeling. Dr. Lou Bohlen (Head of the Minerva office in Munich), Maximillian Prugger (Administrative Director of Minerva), and I came to Israel for the 50th anniversary of the Minerva fellowship program. It also was the farewell tour for Max Planck President Prof. Dr. Martin Strattman, who received the Weizmann Award that May. And it was the official start of the Max Planck Weizmann Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, funding joint postdocs.
Then came October 7, and our next trip, in November, was starkly different. That was a solidarity visit—we wanted to stand with our friends and colleagues after the Hamas attack. We learned that we were the first scientific delegation to visit Israel after the attack. Prof. Shai Lavi (Director of the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem and professor of law at Tel Aviv University), Prof. Dr. Patrick Cramer (President of Max Planck Society), and Prof. Arie Zaban (President of Bar-Ilan University) gave speeches I will never forget for the rest of my life.
Q: Why is German scientific collaboration with Israel so important, especially now?
A: War deepens fault lines, and in this war we at the Max Planck have been steadfast in fighting growing antisemitism, and the questioning of Israel’s right to exist. We believe that science builds bridges and creates emotional connections between people; if you don’t have an emotional relationship to whatever you are doing, you are likely to let it go when the going gets tough. Without the personal connections and the history of working together, it can be harder to find the courage and determination to persevere when faced with an environment hostile to Israel and Jews.
In fact, I think that the more difficult the situation gets, the more important it is to continue collaborating with our scientific colleagues in Israel. By virtue of this collaboration, we hope that we are strengthening the voices of reason—and strengthening science at the same time. And the fact that we kept collaborating and supporting science in Israel does not mean that we agreed with the policy choices of the current Israeli government.
Q: What are you most proud of in terms of your leadership term?
A: I feel very fortunate to be part of this long story of partnership. It has been quite moving to see how, in some cases, centers have been in existence for a long time and how the partnership has truly contributed to the growth and flourishing of knowledge. But if I had to pick something during my term, the highlight for me was in 2024, with the opening of the Max Planck office at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem, headed by Hila Elroy. Having an office in Israel will strengthen the Max Planck and Minerva presence in Israel, and further solidify our collaboration.
Q: When you look back on your last five years, what sticks with you?
A: Gratitude. I am deeply grateful for the two Max Planck presidents whom I had the privilege to serve, Martin Stratmann and Patrick Cramer. There was complete continuity in leadership and their commitment to scientific collaboration. I’m grateful to the chairs and members of all the various Minerva committees, who have made sure in difficult times that the three pillars of Minerva are as strong and steadfast as ever. I also want to thank all my friends and colleagues at Weizmann and all over Israel. I admire your élan vital (life force), creativity, sense of humor, and resilience.
Q: What are you going to miss about the Weizmann campus?
A: Staying at the San Martin Guest House and going for a morning run. The campus is so beautiful.