Although Freiberg was regarded as a metropolis of mining and metallurgy, the chemists W. A. Lampadius and C. A. Winkler also worked with organic substances. These included starch, sugar, wine, coffee, humus, peat and, above all, lignite. They also gave lectures in organic chemistry. However, the Institute of Organic Chemistry was not founded until 1918 and was dedicated to lignite due to its importance at the time. The key dates and personalities of the institute are listed below.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Moving into the newly constructed Clemens-Winkler Building Middle (research) at Leipziger Straße 29 |
| 2014 | Moving into the newly constructed Clemens-Winkler Building North (teaching) at Leipziger Straße 29 |
| 2011 | Appointment of Monika Mazik as Professor of Organic Chemistry |
| 2006 | Appointment of Gerrit Schüürmann as Professor of Theoretical and Ecological Chemistry |
| 1993 | Appointment of Edwin Weber (1946 - 2020) as Professor of Organic Chemistry |
| 1992 | Commissioned management of the Institute by Siegfried Schönherr |
| 1990 | Foundation of the Institute of Organic Chemistry as a result of the political change |
| 1972 | Appointment of Jörg Beger (1935 - 2009) as Professor of Organic Chemistry |
| 1968 | Dissolution of the Institute in its previous structure due to the implementation of the 3rd university reform with the founding of the Section of Organic Chemistry. |
| 1956 | Start of the Chemistry degree programme - at the same time Alfred Dierichs is appointed head of the new Chemistry department |
| 1959 | Appointment of Günter Henseke (1917 - 1991) as Professor of Organic Chemistry |
| 1954 | Moving into the newly constructed Clemens-Winkler building at Leipziger Straße 29 |
| 1952 | Appointment of Alfred Dierichs (1903 - 1958) as Professor of Organic Chemistry and Chemistry of Coal |
| 1948 | Provisional takeover of the Chair of Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemical Technology by Bernhard Neumann (1848 - 1953) and separation from the Institute for Lignite Research |
| 1946 | Commissioned management of the Institute by Professors Anton Lissner, Fritz Stather and Bernhard Neumann |
| 1936 | Appointment of Willy Bielenberg (1892 - 1949) as Professor of Organic Chemistry and Chemistry of Coal (temporary since 1935) |
| 1924 | Moving to the new building of the Lignite Research Institute on Leipziger Straße |
| 1918 | Establishment of the Professorship of Organic Chemistry and Chemistry of Coal under the direction of Reinhold Freiherr von Walther (1866 - 1945) and foundation of the institute at Prüferstraße 9 |