Mourning for Prof. Dr. Dieter Reimers
16 June 2021
On June 9, 2021 , Prof. Dieter Reimers died unexpectedly at the age of 77 years in Postfeld (Schleswig-Holstein). From 1980 to 2009, Dieter Reimers was a professor at Universität Hamburg and Hamburger Sternwarte. He was born November 25, 1943 in Rüde (Schleswig-Holstein). After finishing school in 1963, he studied Physics at the universities in Kiel and Bonn. He did his PhD in May, 1969 with Prof. Unsöld in Kiel and habilitated in 1972 in Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, also at the university of Kiel.
From 1973 to 1976, Dieter Reimers did research at the observatories Mt. Wilson and Palomar in USA and at the Caltech (Pasadena). In 1976, he became a lecturer (H2) at the Universität Kiel. In 1980, he was appointed professor (C4) for Astronomy at Universität Hamburg and worked at Hamburger Sternwarte until his retirement in 2009. Already in 1977, he took over office as managing director at Hamburger Sternwarte for many years. From 1988 to 1992, Dieter Reimers presided the „Observing Programmes Committee“ of ESO, from 1995 to 2002, he was scientific delegate of the Federal Republic of Germany in the council of ESO, and from 2007 to 2009, chairman of the Council of German Observatories.
Dieter Reimers was very succesful in his research which he continued until his death. He actively promoted junior researchers and supported PhDs and colleagues on their way to a successful scientific career.
With Dieter Reimers, the Hamburger Sternwarte lost an internationally outstanding scientist as well as a powerful and always cooperative and extremely estimated colleague. We will keep him in honorable memory.