The Grotemeyer era comes to an end

From East Westphalia to Berlin and back again

Born in Osnabrück in 1927 and raised in Minden, Karl Peter Grotemeyer studied mathematics, physics and astronomy in Göttingen from 1947. After his doctorate and habilitation, he held a professorship at the Free University Berlin as early as 1958. There he had already made a name for himself as an enthusiastic and inspiring university lecturer before accepting an appointment at the newly founded Bielefeld University in 1969, where he had been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board since 1965. Only a few months after his appointment, he had to stand in for the newly elected Rector Ernst-Joachim Mestmäcker as Vice-rector, who had stood down for health reasons.

„Rektor for Life“

This “substitution” lasted over 22 years, which is unique in the German university sector. During his tenure, Karl Peter Grotemeyer became a representative figure of the young University. He and University chancellor Dr. Eberhard Firnhaber had much in common, not only their birth year of 1927 but also their tireless commitment to their University and later, their deep friendship. It was fortunate that this duo was at the head of a university founded with ambitious aspirations for far-reaching higher education reforms under increasingly difficult economic conditions. Not least due to their efforts, the University became an internationally renowned location for science and research with astonishing speed.

Grotemeyer was re-elected five times with an overwhelming majority by representatives of all status groups, and was both greatly admired and respected. The mathematician and university lecturer, who had been thrown in at the deep end in 1969/70, turned out to be a talented science manager serving Bielefeld University and the German academic community as a whole. Liberal, humane and open on the inside, persistent and determined on the outside, he earned recognition and respect through his commitment to fairness, communication and consensus.

Farewell and honours

When Karl Peter Grotemeyer bid farewell to the University on his impending retirement it was a year of great ceremony and honour. The University awarded him the status of honorary senator, and the City of Bielefeld rewarded him for his long-standing service as Rektor with honorary citizenship. No-one has since has received this distinction. Finally, in his honour, his friends published a commemorative publication titled “The Humane University” which portrays an extraordinary and unique man.

It is perhaps typical of Grotemeyer that he used his farewell speech to address the changes that were being implemented to the conditions of study by local and national government. He sought to motivate his audience and called for even stronger efforts to meet this increasing challenge: “There is never a need for resignation”.

A phase began for Karl Peter Grotemeyer, which can only be described very incorrectly as retirement. Various state governments sought his advice and experience and recruited him for high-ranking commissions and committees. In addition, he also devoted himself to things that had played a lesser role in his life in previous decades, such as solving mathematical problems. He remained greatly interested in the developments of “his” university and was prepared to listen whenever he visited the university.

Karl Peter Grotemeyer died unexpectedly on 30 July 2007, shortly before his 80th birthday.