No, this is not an autobiography. I have experienced a lot in my life. Some succeeded and is pleasing. Some did not hit the mark or turned out to be unimportant. Here are some benchmarks:
1945 born in Winterthur, Switzerland
since 1956 (Sputnik) fascinated by astronomy
since 1961 (Confirmation) interested in theology
1969 Diploma in theoretical physics at ETH Zurich, Switzerland
1972 completion of doctoral thesis withThomas Gold at Cornell University (USA)
since 1972 research and teaching astrophysics at ETH Zurich
1979 habilitation in astrophysics
1993 promotion to professor in physics at ETH Zurich
since 1998 Swiss lead of the Herschel Space Observatory, development and operation
1999 - 2002 president of the Swiss Society for Astronomy and Astrophysics
2000 - 2003 president of Division II (Sun and Heliosphere) of the International Astron. Union
2006 – 2011 Principal Investigator of STIX instrument on the Solar Orbiter Mission of ESA
2010 emeritation
Since 2010 part time work at the Institute for Astronomy of ETH Zurich
Since 2010 part time employment at the Institute of 4D Technologies, University of Applied
Sciences of Northwestern Switzerland
2011 honorary doctor of Zurich University for interdisciplinary work
2017 honorary doctor of the University of the South, Sewanee TN, USA, "for his
distinguished contributions to astronomical inquiry and for his illuminating,
interdisciplinary reflections"
Much could be told about my marriage with Elisabeth Ringli, our four children and 13 grandchildren; also of the early passing of my first wife in 2008 after a severe illness. Since 2014 I am happily married again with Ruth Wiesenberg.
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Professional Narrative Marquis Who's Who
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