We mourn the death of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georg Friedrich Schultheiß

Karlsruhe, May 06, 2025 – Our former Managing Director Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georg Friedrich Schultheiß passed away on April 11, 2025 at the age of 86. He headed FIZ Karlsruhe from 1992 to 2003 as Scientific and Technical Managing Director and during this time played a key role in shaping the development and positioning of our institute as a leading provider of scientific and technical specialist information.

Under his leadership, FIZ Karlsruhe significantly expanded its role as a central information hub for science and industry, both nationally and internationally. In particular, the strengthening of international cooperation, the methodical further development of patent information and the expansion of online databases were milestones during his term of office. STN International developed into an information service with a world-leading database offering in the fields of science, technology and patents.

In 1993, Prof. Schultheiß succeeded in contractually integrating one of the most important patent databases at the time - the Derwent World Patents Index - into STN International. Within the national research landscape, FIZ Karlsruhe became a member of the “Blue List”, which later turned into the Leibniz Association. Prof. Schultheiß combined technological innovation with strategic thinking. His aim was not only to collect information, but to make it usable - through powerful databases, user-friendly systems and a consistent focus on the needs of our customers.

Georg Friedrich Schultheiß was born in Nuremberg on April 28, 1938. After an apprenticeship as a toolmaker at Triumph-Werke, he studied mechanical engineering and then nuclear process engineering at the University of Karlsruhe. He obtained his doctorate there in 1970 and habilitated in the field of reactor technology and reactor safety in 1976. In 1982, he was appointed adjunct professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Karlsruhe.

As technical and scientific coordinator, he promoted German-Brazilian research cooperations, amog others, in the field of underwater technology. He was also intensively involved at a European level: in 1998, he took over the chairmanship of the Council of the European Association of Information Services (EUSIDIC). In 1992, he received the prestigious Miles Conrad Memorial Award from the American National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services (NFAIS) for his services.

Georg Friedrich Schultheiß was a clever visionary, a committed scientist and a person who was genuinely interested in passing on knowledge. Employees and companions remember him as a calm, solution-oriented person with a fine sense of humor and an open eye for what was feasible.

Our condolences go to his family and all those who were close to him.