Klaus Linkwitz (1948-2017)

The following info on Prof Linkwitz was taken from his website in Stuttgart University;

Klaus Linkwitz was born in Bad Oeynhausen and after school, military service as Luftwaffenhelfer, captivity and internship 1948 studied geodesy in Stuttgart and Munich. Since 1953 he has worked in practice in numerous engineering projects and surveying expeditions, especially in Central Asia - at this time pronounced pioneering achievements. His focus was in Afghanistan, where he worked as a project manager in road and tunnel construction.

In 1960, Mr. Linkwitz earned his doctorate with his dissertation on the topic "Error Theory and Compensation of Route Networks According to the Theory of Elastic Systems". In 1964 he was appointed Full Professor and Director of the IAGB at the then TH, now University of Stuttgart. He held this position for more than 31 years and has made the institute world-famous for his work on engineering geodesy, photogrammetry, balancing and special applications in construction.

Klaus Linkwitz was instrumental in the planning of the Olympic Roofs Munich 1972 with the Institute, where he developed new methods for their mathematical form finding and analysis: the so-called force density method. For geodesy in Stuttgart Klaus Linkwitz has earned great merits, from 1984 to 1995, he initiated the Collaborative Research Center 228 "High-precision navigation - Integration of geodetic and navigational methods". As spokesman Klaus Linkwitz has led this SFB, in addition to the geodesist colleagues Ackermann, Grafarend and Hartl with colleagues Gilles, Mehring, Sorg and Tiziani representatives of the faculties of physics, mechanical engineering and process engineering, thanks to its integrating effect to great success. Through his work within the SFBs, Klaus Linkwitz was able to give geodesy an interdisciplinary national and international significance. Mechanical engineering and process engineering were involved, thanks to its integrating effect led to great success. Through his work within the SFBs, Klaus Linkwitz was able to give geodesy an interdisciplinary national and international significance. Mechanical engineering and process engineering were involved, thanks to its integrating effect led to great success. Through his work within the SFBs, Klaus Linkwitz was able to give geodesy an interdisciplinary national and international significance.

Likewise, he did not shy away from the effort to build connections with fellow foreigners. Two honorary doctorates (ETH Zurich and TU Donetsk / Ukraine) demonstrate the diverse commitment. With the clarity of his language and the elegance of his argument, Prof. Linkwitz was always able to convince in the numerous committees and fields in which he was represented. Outside the university, the chairmanship of the German Geodetic Commission (DGK) from 1980-1987 should be mentioned.

Klaus Linkwitz was retired in 1996. He also lectured as an emeritus in the field of form finding of surface structures at the University of Stuttgart and was invited to guest lectures in many countries.

Klaus Linkwitz

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