Professor Spitzer: After 45 years, an era at Clausthal University of Technology is ending!

Professor Spitzer: After 45 years, an era at Clausthal University of Technology is ending!

On April 4, 2025, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karl-Heinz Spitzer was ceremoniously farewelled after 45 years at the Clausthal University of Technology. The ceremony took place under the leadership of University President Dr.-Ing. Sylvia Schattauer, who presented him with an official farewell certificate. The Lippstadt native looks back on an impressive academic and professional career.

Prof. Spitzer was born in 1956 and studied mathematics and physics at Bielefeld University from 1974 to 1980. In 1980 he joined the Clausthal University of Technology as a research assistant at the Institute for General Metallurgy and received his doctorate in 1985 with a dissertation on a mathematical model for electromagnetic stirring in the continuous casting of steel. His research-intensive focus was on materials science, particularly on the development of new steel recipes and high-performance steels.

Research and innovation

In the following years at Clausthal University of Technology, Spitzer worked as an academic advisor and senior advisor at the Institute for Metallurgy. In 2001 he completed his habilitation with a thesis on mathematical models for optimizing metallurgical processes, which led to his appointment as full professor of metallurgical process engineering two years later.

One of his outstanding successes was the commissioning of the first industrial-scale horizontal strip casting plant at Salzgitter AG in 2012, which achieved a production capacity of 40,000 tons per year. In addition, Spitzer was nominated as a runner-up for the German Future Prize in 2014 for the “Horizontal Strip Casting of Steel” project and received the award from Federal President Joachim Gauck.

Commitment and outlook

In his farewell remarks, Prof. Spitzer emphasized the indispensable freedom of science and his conviction that this is fundamental for innovation in industry. During his time at Clausthal University of Technology, he was not only involved in research, but also in supervising doctoral students. He mentored around 15 students.

His work also covered important topics such as decarbonization and the energy transition, for example in the area of ​​liquid metal batteries and the iron-steam process for hydrogen storage. Spitzer will remain active after his official retirement by participating in research projects and continuing to supervise doctoral students. His residence in Clausthal-Zellerfeld will enable him to continue this commitment.

In recognition of his extensive contributions, he was also elected to the DFG's “Raw Materials, Materials and Materials Sciences” committee and headed the Institute for Metallurgy at Clausthal University of Technology on several occasions and was a member of the university's Senate. The academic community and industrial partners, which include Salzgitter AG and SMS Siemag AG, expressed gratitude for his outstanding achievements and wished him all the best for his new phase of life.

According to [tu-clausthal.de], Prof. Spitzer's departure was perceived by many colleagues and partners as a great loss for the university and the collaboration of scientists in industry.

His influence on metallurgy and close collaboration with various institutions will continue in the years to come, with his legacy in research remaining clearly felt. This good collaboration was a decisive factor for the successful projects that accompanied Prof. Spitzer throughout his career, as [imet.tu-clausthal.de] explains in detail.