German chemist and corecipient, with Carl Bosch (Bosch, Carl) of Germany, of the 1931 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Bergius and Bosch were instrumental in developing the hydrogenation method necessary to convert coal dust and hydrogen directly into gasoline and lubricating oils without isolating intermediate products.

Bergius was educated at the universities of Breslau, Leipzig, and Berlin and at technical schools in Karlsruhe and Hannover. He described his research in The Use of High Pressure in Chemical Actions (1913). These studies led to his work on converting coal into liquid hydrocarbons.

Bergius also researched the conversion of wood into sugar and of sugar into other food products. This work helped to provide Germany with food during World War II.