The History of the Institute

Our institute looks back on more than a century of history. The systematic study of the structure and properties of metallic materials at TU Clausthal began in 1920 with the appointment of Woldemar Hommel as Professor of Metallography and Chemical Technology.

From 1944 onwards, a predecessor of today’s institute emerged under the leadership of Professor Günter Wassermann: the Institute for Metallurgy and Metal Physics. In 1976, following the appointments of Professors Hans-Joachim Bunge and Barry Leslie Mordike, this institute was divided into the Institute for Metallurgy and Metal Physics and the Institute for Materials Science and Engineering. Since then, both institutions have developed into key centres of research in texture and materials science.

In 1999, the two areas were reunited under the name Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, supported by the Chairs of Physical Materials Science (Professor Juri Estrin, 2002–2007) and Applied Materials Science and Engineering (Professor Lothar Wagner, 2002–2019). This merger laid the foundation for the institute as it exists today.