The Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland bids farewell to its founding member Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Haber (13 September 1925 – 13 August 2026)
The Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GfÖ) mourns the loss of its founding member and former long-time president, Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Haber, who passed away on August 13, 2026, at the age of 100. It is with deep sadness and enormous gratitude that we bid farewell to an exceptional ecologist who shaped the Ecological Society through his outstanding commitment and high scientific visibility. Our sympathies go out to his family and to all those who were especially close to him.
Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h.c. Wolfgang Haber was one of Germany’s most distinguished ecologists. His long and impactful career was dedicated to landscape ecology and nature conservation. He is particularly renowned for his concept of ‘differentiated land use,’ which harmonizes landscape productivity with biodiversity. He is known as a co-founder of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GfÖ) in 1970, he served as its president from 1979 to 1990, and he successfully advocated for the establishment of Germany’s first national park in the Bavarian Forest (1970), and implemented the method of ‘biotope mapping’. At the Technical University of Munich, he inspired generations of students and colleagues through his research and teaching in ecology and nature conservation. His most recent engagement with the GfÖ was at the opening of the annual conference in Freising in September 2024. His enduring contributions were celebrated a year later on the occasion of his 100th birthday. Prof. Haber’s scientific achievements were recognized with honors including the German Environmental Prize (awarded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation). The GfÖ will cherish his memory.
Johannes Kollmann, Christine Römermann and Boris Schröder-Esselbach
on behalf of the GfÖ
