The History of the Institute

The outstanding reputation of Clausthal's Metallurgy and Materials Science at the former Clausthal Mining Academy is closely linked to the name Günter Wassermann (1902-1986), who served as the head of the Institute for Metallurgy and Metal Physics from 1944 to 1976. Prof. Wassermann not only pioneered texture development in metallic materials but also extensively engaged in a variety of metallurgical research. This includes, for example, the martensitic transformation in steels and ß-brass, the precipitation hardening in light metals, and the production of composite materials through extrusion and drawing of various metals with additions of intermetallic compounds and oxides.

In 1976, Hans-Joachim Bunge (1929-2004) succeeded Prof. Wassermann and led the institute until his retirement in 1997. Under Prof. Bunge's leadership, the texture research, already nurtured by Wassermann, flourished to its highest level with the aid of a mathematical description of crystallographic textures using ODF functions.

In addition to the Institute for Metallurgy and Metal Physics, which had become more theoretically and fundamentally oriented, an Institute for Materials Science and Engineering was founded at the TU Clausthal in 1977. Barry L. Mordike was appointed as the head of this institute, a position he held until his retirement in 1999. Prof. Mordike primarily focused on improving metallic materials through rapid solidification, powder metallurgy, surface treatment by laser beams, and magnesium technology.

Following Prof. Bunge, Prof. Juri Estrin led the Chair of Physical Metallurgy at the Institute for Materials Science and Engineering from 2000 to 2007. After a decision by the TU Clausthal's presidency, this chair was not filled again.

In 2002, Prof. Lothar Wagner assumed the position of the Chair of Applied Materials Science and Engineering at the Institute for Materials Science and Engineering, succeeding Prof. Mordike, and served as the director of the institute from 2005 to 2019.

From April 2019 to October 2022, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Meiners held the position of interim institute director.

Since 2023, Prof. Dr. Uwe Wolfram has been the director of the institute.