Sauer Family Genealogy & History

Joachim Sauer is a renowned German quantum chemist and professor emeritus of physical and theoretical chemistry at the Humboldt University of Berlin. He has significantly contributed to quantum chemistry, particularly in understanding catalysts like zeolites and interpreting solid state NMR spectra. His illustrious career includes roles such as head of the Quantum Chemistry Group at the Max Planck Society and membership in prestigious organizations like the Royal Society and Academia Europaea. Sauer, who married former German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 1998, is also known for his low-profile approach to public life despite his wife's high-profile political career.

Joachim Sauer was born in Hosena, Germany, and grew up alongside a twin sister and an elder brother. His father, Richard Sauer, worked as an insurance representative after training as a confectioner. This background set the stage for Sauer's academic excellence and subsequent achievements in the field of chemistry.

Matt Sauer is an American professional baseball pitcher, currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers of MLB. Born January 21, 1999, Sauer has played for the Kansas City Royals and was drafted by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 2017 MLB draft. Notable career moments include striking out 17 batters in a game for the Double-A Somerset Patriots in 2022. Sauer's journey through teams like the Charleston RiverDogs, Tampa Tarpons, and Staten Island Yankees highlights his resilience and dedication to baseball. His career trajectory showcases a pitcher with potential, despite challenges like injuries and team transitions.

Sauer's family background includes his parents, David and Tami, with his mother Tami born on Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. He met his wife, Reagan, in middle school, and they continued their education together through high school. Sauer's faith, strengthened by former minor league roommates Gary Whitlock and Glenn Otto, is an integral part of his personal life.

Albert Sauer (1898–1945) was a prominent Nazi German commandant associated with Mauthausen-Gusen and other concentration camps during World War II. A member of the NSDAP and SS since 1931, Sauer was a protégé of Theodor Eicke, serving in various high-ranking positions, including commandant of Bad Sulza and Schutzhaftlagerführer at Sachsenhausen. He played a role in the destruction of the Riga Ghetto and was briefly the commandant of Kaiserwald concentration camp. His career, deeply entwined with Nazi atrocities, ended when he died of wounds in 1945, never facing trial for his actions during the Holocaust.

Carl Ortwin Sauer (1889–1975) was a renowned American geographer, celebrated for his significant contributions to historical geography and cultural landscapes. As a professor at the University of California, Berkeley from 1923 to 1957, he shaped the geography graduate school and was instrumental in establishing the Berkeley School of Geography. His influential works include "Agricultural Origins and Dispersals" and "The Morphology of Landscape," which challenged environmental determinism and promoted a landscape morphology approach. Sauer's multidisciplinary collaborations and his focus on the human impact on landscapes marked him as a pioneer in the field.

Born in Warrenton, Missouri, Sauer was the son of German immigrants William Albert Sauer and Rosseta J. Vosholl. His father, a botanist and educator at Central Wesleyan College, influenced Carl's interest in history and geography. This familial background played a pivotal role in shaping his academic pursuits, as did his early education in Germany and the United States.