Outstanding personalities

Familiar faces

Over more than 175 years, outstanding personalities have shaped the university. Both as students and as members of teaching staff. This website provides information on Karl Karmarsch (founder of the university), Wilhelm Launhardt (first rector of TH Hannover) and other outstanding personalities.

  • Biltz, Wilhelm

    Wilhelm Biltz

    Profile of Wilhelm Biltz (1877-1943) Profile of Wilhelm Biltz (1877-1943) Profile of Wilhelm Biltz (1877-1943)

    * 08.03.1877 in Berlin | † 13.11.1943 in Heidelberg

    • Professorship in chemistry at Bergakademie Clausthal
    • Professorship in inorganic chemistry and board member of the Laboratory for Inorganic Chemistry at TH Hannover
    • Member of the Academy of Sciences in Göttingen
    • Forerunner of modern inorganic chemistry

    1921 - 1941: Professorship in inorganic chemistry at TH Hannover

  • Bodenstein, Max

    Max Bodenstein

    Max Bodenstein (1871 - 1942) Max Bodenstein (1871 - 1942) Max Bodenstein (1871 - 1942)

    * 15.07.1871 in Magdeburg | † 03.09.1942 in Berlin

    • Professorship in electrochemistry and physical chemistry at TH Hannover
    • Professorship in physical chemistry and director of the Institute of Physics and Chemistry at Universität Berlin
    • Member of the Science Society in Göttingen
    • Member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences
    • Fundamental contributions to chemical kinetics

    • 1908 - 1923: Professorship in electrochemistry and physical chemistry at TH Hannover
  • Flachsbart, Otto

    Otto Flachsbart

    Otto Flachsbart (1898 - 1957) Otto Flachsbart (1898 - 1957) Otto Flachsbart (1898 - 1957)

    * 26.02.1898 in Paderborn | † 23.09.1957 in Hannover

    • Lecturer in the field of hydrodynamics and aerodynamics and professorship in mechanics at TH Hannover
    • Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and head of the Mechanical Engineering department
    • Honorary senator of TH Braunschweig
    • State secretary at the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of Lower Saxony
    • Bearer of the Karmarsch commemorative coin

    • 1932 - 1937 and 1945 - 1957: Professorship in mechanics at TH Hannover

  • Franzius, Otto

    Otto Franzius

    Franzius, Otto Franzius, Otto Franzius, Otto

    * 30.05.1877 | † 29.03.1936

    Otto Franzius was a leading hydraulic engineer. After completing his studies in 1895, he worked as a navy port engineer in Kiel for several years. In 1909, Franzius became an assistant in Berlin before accepting a professorship in hydraulic engineering and foundation engineering at Technische Hochschule Hannover in 1913.  He established and acted as head of the Institute of Foundation Engineering and Hydraulic Engineering, which was renamed “Hannoversche Versuchsanstalt für Grundbau und Wasserbau” in 1927. In order to promote the research institute, Franzius expedited the establishment of a foundation. Moreover, he acted as rector of TH Hannover between 1933 and 1934.

    Franzius was significantly involved in the Nazi regime. During this period, Franzius reorganised TH Hannover in accordance with Nazi propaganda and was also actively involved in removing out-of-favour persons.

    Franzius’ work was of high practical relevance. He devised plans for designing the Mittelland canal, which can still be found in its current routing. Furthermore, he conducted preliminary work for the construction of dams in the Harz and Eifel region. As an internationally renowned specialist, he advised the Chinese government in the late 1920s.

  • Hase, Conrad W.

    Conrad Wilhelm Hase

    Conrad Wilhelm Hase Conrad Wilhelm Hase Conrad Wilhelm Hase

    * 02.10.1818 in Einbeck | † 28.03.1902 in Hannover

    • Member of teaching staff in the field of architecture at the former polytechnic college in Hannover
    • Subjects: History of architecture, designing buildings
    • Architect at the consistory in Hannover
    • Founder of the lodge “Zum weißen Blatt” in Hannover
    • Member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna
    • Member of the Academy of Arts in Berlin
    • Honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm
    • Founder of the foundation "C. W. Hase-Stiftung”

    • 1849 - 1894: Teaching post in the field of architecture at the former polytechnic college / TH Hannover

  • Jordan, Wilhelm

    Wilhelm Jordan

    Wilhelm Jordan Wilhelm Jordan Wilhelm Jordan

    * 01.03.1842 in Ellwangen | † 17.04.1899 in Hannover 

    • Professorship in practical geometry and higher geodesy at the polytechnic college in Karlsruhe
    • Professorship in geodesy and applied geometry at TH Hannover
    • Research in European arc measurement
    • Member of the imperial standard calibration commission
    • Involved in the triangulation of the cities Hannover and Linden

    • 1882 - 1899: Professorship in geodesy and applied geometry at TH Hannover
  • Karmarsch, Karl

    Karl Karmarsch

    Karl Karmarsch Karl Karmarsch Karl Karmarsch

    * 17.10.1803 in Wien | † 28.03.1879 in Hannover 

    • First director of the former polytechnic college and main teacher in the field of technology and chemistry
    • Subjects: Mechanical technology, theoretical chemistry with applications in technology and building technology
    • Vice president of the trade union for the Kingdom of Hanover
    • Professorship in technology and mechanical engineering at Universität Tübingen
    • Honorary citizen of Hannover
    • Member of the Swedish Academy of Sciences

  • Kienzle, Otto

    Otto Kienzle

    Otto Kienzle (1893 - 1969) Otto Kienzle (1893 - 1969) Otto Kienzle (1893 - 1969)

    * 12.10.1893 in Baiersbronn | † 14.10.1969 in Stuttgart

    • Professorship in business science and machine tools at TH Berlin
    • Professorship in machine tools at TH Hannover
    • Member of the production engineering team of the Association of German Engineers, the board of trustees of PTB, the Max Planck Institute for Occupational Physiology and the German Research Foundation (DFG)
    • DIN honorary ring, Taylor gold medal, Erich Siebel commemorative coin
    • Fundamental research in production engineering, dimension measurement, interchange engineering and standardisation

    • 1947 - 1961: Professorship in machine tools at TH Hannover
  • Launhardt, Wilhelm

    Wilhelm Launhardt

    Wilhelm Launhardt (1832 - 1918) Wilhelm Launhardt (1832 - 1918) Wilhelm Launhardt (1832 - 1918)

    * 07.04.1832 in Hannover | † 14.05.1918 in Hannover

    • Road-building supervisor
    • Teaching post in road construction, railway construction and bridge-building at the former polytechnic college
    • Director of the former polytechnic college and first rector of TH Hannover
    • Member of the Civil Engineering Academy in Berlin
    • Recipient of the gold medal for commendable services in civil engineering and traffic engineering
    • Significant contributions in the field of economic theory
    • Discussion of economic problems in the field of engineering

    • 1869 -1918: Professorship in road construction, railway construction and bridge-building at TH Hannover
  • Ost, Hermann

    Hermann Ost

    Hermann Ost (1852 - 1931) Hermann Ost (1852 - 1931) Hermann Ost (1852 - 1931)

    * 17.02.1852 in Ellierode | † 20.06.1931 in Hannover

    • Lecturer in the field of chemistry at Universität Leipzig
    • Lecturer in the field of analytic and organic chemistry at TH Hannover
    • Assistant at the chemical laboratory
    • Professorship in technical chemistry at TH Hannover
    • Rector of TH Hannover
    • Significant contributions to chemical technology

    • 1887 - 1931: Professorship in technical chemistry at TH Hannover

  • Prandtl, Ludwig

    Ludwig Prandtl

    Ludwig Prandtl (1875 - 1953) Ludwig Prandtl (1875 - 1953) Ludwig Prandtl (1875 - 1953)

    * 04.02.1875 in Freising | † 15.08.1953 in Göttingen

    • Professorship in mechanics at TH Hannover
    • Professorship in technical physics at University of Göttingen
    • Director of “Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut für Strömungsforschung” and founder of the Aerodynamics Research Institute
    • International awards and honorary doctorates
    • Significant contributions in the field of elasticity and phenomena in fluid mechanics, in particular ground-breaking research in aircraft engineering

    • 1901 - 1904: Professorship in mechanics at TH Hannover

  • Schering, Harald

    Harald Schering

    Harald Schering (1880 - 1959) Harald Schering (1880 - 1959) Harald Schering (1880 - 1959)

    * 25.11.1880 in Göttingen | † 10.04.1959 in Hannover 

    • Professor and member at Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt in Charlottenburg
    • Professorship in general and theoretical electrical engineering and high voltage engineering at TH Hannover
    • Honorary member of the Association of German Electrical Engineers (VDE)
    • Great Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
    • The “Schering Institute for General Electrical Engineering and High Voltage Technology” was named after him

    • 1927 - 1959: Professorship in general and theoretical electrical engineering and high voltage engineering