Obituary for Dr Martin Nettesheim
We mourn the loss of our former Administrative Director Dr Martin Nettesheim, who passed away on 21 July 2024 at the age of 88.
From September 1979 to March 1994, Dr Martin Nettesheim was administrative director of the Hahn-Meitner Institute, a predecessor of HZB. At the same time, he was also responsible for radiation protection. He studied law at the University of Bonn and subsequently completed his doctorate at the University of Cologne.
In his 15 years as Managing Director, Dr Martin Nettesheim led the HMI through numerous challenging times, which he mastered together with the scientific management in the interests of the centre and the staff.
One turning point during his time in office was the fall of the Berlin Wall. After reunification, Nettesheim campaigned to integrate a group from the Institute of Electron Physics of the former GDR Academy of Sciences into the HMI. Following a favourable vote by the Science Council, the "Silicon-based Photovoltaics" department was founded as a branch of the HMI in Berlin-Adlershof in January 1992.
Nettesheim's term of office also saw the conversion of the Berlin research reactor BER II from 5 to 10 megawatts and the installation of the "cold source". The operating licence required for this became a political issue in the Berlin Senate and brought the HMI into an existential crisis. It was only after the new elections to the Berlin House of Representatives that the licence was granted in March 1991.
Dr Martin Nettesheim was a key player in securing the continued existence of the institute. With his political negotiating skills, he made a decisive contribution to guiding the HMI through these difficult times. He always had the well-being of the workforce and the preservation of jobs in mind.
After his work at the HMI, he moved to the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology, where he continued to work at its Berlin branch office.
We will always honour the memory of Dr Martin Nettesheim. Our deepest sympathy goes to his family and loved ones.