Å·ÃÀAV

Born on 11 March 1928 in Dortmund (father: Gerhard Fritsche, civil servant; mother: Marie, née Jäger), protestant, married since August 1955 to Gerti, née Gassen (born 2 March1927 in Bonn, died 26 November 2011), 2 children (Sabine Rappel M.A., born 7 July 1957, Dr rer. nat. Johann-Gerhard Fritsche, Dipl.-Geol., born 23 November1958.

Place of residence from 1964 until his death: Kelkheim.

Education

Primary school from 1934 to 1938, then grammar school. Obtained his Abitur on 15 July 1947 at the Bismarck-Oberschule in Dortmund (renamed Max-Planck-Gymnasium after the end of the war).

1945 and 1946: Interpreter with the British Army (1 Corps District Signals) in the British occupation zone.

From summer semester of 1948 to 1954, he studied chemistry at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, where he obtained his Intermediate diploma in chemistry on 20 July 1950.

Obtained the academic degree ‘Diplom-Chemiker’ on 01.07.1953, academic teachers: Prof. Dr Burckardt Helferich, Prof. Dr Otto Schmitz-DuMont, Prof. Dr Hermann Antweiler, Prof. Dr Hermann Stetter.

Doctorate on 21 December 1954 at the University of Bonn (supervisor: Prof. Dr Otto Schmitz-DuMont): Topic of the doctoral thesis: ‘A contribution to the knowledge of solid-gas reactions - On the kinetics of the reduction of manganese metavanadate to manganese vanadium spinel and its oxidation to manganese metavanadate’.

Professional activity

1955-1960 Industrial activity as assistant to the technical director of the Marienberg plant (today part of the municipality of Lautertal in the Odenwald) of Vereinigte Ultramarinfabriken A.G. near Bensheim. Jointly responsible for the laboratory, test facility and production, development work for lead-free ceramic colours.

Since 01 June 1960 Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (until 01.0.6.1965 scientific employee, until 01.01.1968 deputy managing director, until 01.01.1972 managing director). From 1 January 1972 Chief Executive of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, 31 March 1991 retirement.

He was also a member of the shareholders' meeting of VCH-Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Weinheim, 1972 to March 1991, from April 1991 member of the Economic Advisory Board (Supervisory Board) until 1996. He was also a member of the Supervisory Board of Fachinformationszentrum Chemie GmbH, Berlin, 1981 to March 1991.

Hobbies: painting (drawings, watercolours, oil paintings, porcelain painting), model railways, wine culture, sport boat.

At its meeting in December 1990, under the Presidency of Sir Rex Richards, the Å·ÃÀAV Council unanimously agreed that he should be invited to accept Honorary Fellowship in recognition of his substantial contributions to international relations in Chemistry, particularly through the Federation of European Chemical Societies. The certificate of Honorary Fellowship was presented to my father at the opening Ceremony of the 150th Anniversary Congress of the Å·ÃÀAV in London on 8 April 1991.

My father always was very proud of having been found worthy of receiving such a most distinguished and prominent award. Furthering international cooperation in chemistry and good relations between institutions and people regardless of ideological, cultural or religious background was a major item in the philosophy of his life. He always felt "at home" in the Å·ÃÀAV, the achieviements and activities of which he observed with great appreciation and respect.

My father`s next kins are Sabine Rappel M.A. (daughter), Regensburg, Germany and  Dr. Johann-Gerhard Fritsche, Taunusstein, Germany.

Dr rer. nat. Johann-Gerhard Fritsche