Obituary Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Heinrich Oppermann

If metal oxides could fly...

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c.. Heinrich Oppermann, long-time holder of the professorship for Inorganic Chemistry II at TU Dresden, has passed away at the age of 88. In the second half of the 20th century, Heinrich Oppermann was one of the world's leading scientists working on crystal growth of inorganic materials via gas phase transport. This method, known as chemical transport reaction, describes reactions in which solid, otherwise non-evaporable materials can be transferred to the gas phase and subsequently deposited in crystalline form. With his work, Heinrich Oppermann particularly shaped the understanding of the properties and crystallization conditions of metal oxides.

"Heinrich Oppermann was one of the chemists whose work laid a solid foundation for the successful work of subsequent generations. His book on vanadium oxides became an indispensable reference of our collaborative research center in Berlin (1999 - 2001) on the structure and reactivity of transition metal aggregates, in which vanadium oxides were the common denominator of all subprojects," said Joachim Sauer of Humboldt University in Berlin, paying tribute to Heinrich Oppermann's achievements.

Heinrich Oppermann also caused a sensation with his space experiment on crystal growth under conditions of weightlessness, which was carried out in 1978 during the space flight of Sigmund Jähn, the first German in space. In recognition of his scientific achievements and for his constant commitment to international scientific exchange, Heinrich Oppermann was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Novosibirsk Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1998.

Heinrich Oppermann was a dedicated university teacher who guided a large number of undergraduate and graduate students with his scientific expertise and supported them with great appreciation. Among his students today are scientists and professors who continue to develop and apply the field of research to a variety of classes of substances.

Friends and colleagues as well as numerous academic companions bid an emotional farewell to Heinrich Oppermann!