Karl Lanius (born 3.V 1927) is a German physicist and a member of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR (1969). He was born in Berlin. In 1946 — 52 he studied at the Technical University of Berlin and the A. Humboldt University in Berlin, where in 1957 he received the degree of Doctor of Science and worked. In 1969 — 72 he was director of the Institute of Mathematics and Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR, then of the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR (in 1974 — 76 vice-director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna).
His work was in the field of cosmic-ray physics and elementary particle physics (strong interactions, hadron spectroscopy).
National Prize of the GDR (1967).