In Memory of Prof. Tasso Springer
9 March 2017
Staff of the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at Forschungszentrum Jülich are deeply saddened by the loss of their former Institute Head and colleague
Professor Emeritus Tasso Springer
who passed away at home on 3 March at the age of 86 following a short illness.
Tasso Springer studied Technical Physics at the Technical University of Munich. After completing his doctorate under the supervision of the renowned physicist Heinz Maier-Leibnitz followed by his habilitation, he took up his appointment at Forschungszentrum Jülich at just 33 years of age, and was one of the first directors of the former Institute of Neutron Physics, which was later to develop into the Institute of Solid State Physics. Tasso Springer was awarded a full professorship in Experimental Physics at RWTH Aachen University. From 1977 to 1982, he continued in the long tradition of German directors at the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France. On his return to Jülich, he was strongly committed to the expansion and development of the Jülich research reactor DIDO with the neutron guide hall ELLA. Although born in Munich, he remained at Forschungszentrum Jülich up until his retirement in 1996, and afterwards moved to Gräfelfing near Munich.
Tasso Springer was a passionate and dedicated physicist of high international regard, who made outstanding contributions in particular to neutron research. Together with Maier-Leibnitz, he discovered and developed the principle of guiding neutrons using reflection techniques. In 1992, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Officer’s Cross). Active in the German Council of Science and Humanities, he founded the Committee for Neutron Research and was a member of numerous scientific bodies and commissions.
Our thoughts are with his wife and children; we wish them strength and fortitude at this difficult time.
The Board of Directors and Staff of the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science
The memorial service will take place on Wednesday 15 March 2017 at 12:45 at the Waldfriedhof Neuer Teil, Lorettoplatz 3 in Munich.