The Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences, was founded on January 1, 1652, as a private company under the name Academia Naturae Curiosorum. It is the oldest continuously existing academy of medicine and the natural sciences in the world. The Leopoldina was named the German Academy of Sciences in 2008.

Being elected a member of the Leopoldina - German National Academy of Sciences is viewed as one of the highest honors awarded by any German institution to individual scientists. The following scientists from Freie Universität Berlin have been accepted as members to date:

• Professor Gabriele Brandstetter, Department of Philosophy and Humanities, Institute for Theatre Studies
• Professor Leo Brunnberg, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Clinic and Polyclinic
• Professor Jürgen Gerhards, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Sociology
• Professor  Volker Haucke, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie and Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Professor Regine Hengge, Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Institute of Biology/Microbiology
• Professor Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit, Department of History and Cultural Studies, Japanese Studies
• Professor Joachim Küpper, Department of Philosophy and Humanities, Peter Szondi Institute for General and Comparative Literature
• Professor Jörn Manz, Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Institute of Chemistry
• Professor Holger Martens, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Physiology
• Professor Randolf Menzel, Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Institute of Biology
• Professor Angelika Neuwirth, Department of History and Cultural Studies, Seminar for Semitic and Arabic Studies
• Professor Johanna Plendl, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy
• Professor Matthias Rillig, Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Institute of Biology
• Professor Günter Schultz, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin
• Professor Brigitta Schütt, Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Geographical Sciences
• Professor Günter Schultz, Benjamin Franklin University Clinic (UKBF)
• Professor Klement Tockner, Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Institute of Biology
• Professor Friedhelm von Blanckenburg, Department of Earth Sciences, Division of Geochemistry and German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ)
• Professor Günter M. Ziegler, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Institute of Mathematics