Brief portrait and history

The establishment of a Faculty of Biology at the University of Freiburg i.Br. between 1960 and 1972
1960	Retirement of Friedrich Oehlkers (Chair of Botany) and Otto Koehler (Chair of Zoology). Both men were members of the Natural Sciences-Mathematics Faculty (NMF) of Albert-Ludwig University, Freiburg i.Br.
1960	Appointment of Hans Mohr (b. 1930, from the University of Tübingen) as successor to Oehlkers. Appointment of Bernhard Hassenstein (b. 1922, from the University of Tübingen) as successor to Koehler. As Full Professors of Botany, resp. Zoology, both were regular members of the NMF.
1960	Recommendations of the Scientific Council for the Development of the Universities. These proposals favored the expansion of the field of Biology (additional professorships) within the NMF. The Ministry of Culture in Stuttgart (the legendary Governmental Director Dr. Hoffmann was the responsible person) approved and funded both the old and the new Chairs along with expanded personnel plans and suitable equipment and supplies. This made it possible to attract considerable outstanding talent to Freiburg, especially since a new building to house a Biocenter was planned. The NMF, for its part, strongly supported in word and deed the concept for the development of Biology.
1960 to 1962	Conception of a new course of study for the State Examination. Planning and implementation of a course of study for the Diploma. Merging of the traditional basic lecture courses for Botany and Zoology into a unified "Introduction to Biology". Adaptation of the " Introduction" to accomodate the needs of the students of Medicine and Pharmacy. Establishment of a ring lecture series (Biology of man) and Seminars on epistomological and ethical problems in Biology (and the natural sciences more generally). Proposal for future institute structures and preparations for the recruitment of the new Full Professors. Proposal for a future faculty structure: Institute of Biology I (Zoology, 3 Full Professors) Limnological Institute (1 Full Professor) Institute of Biology II (5 Full Professors) Institute of Biology III (3 Full Professors) Considerations on the new construction of a Biocenter for Biology II and III; construction of a new auditorium for Biology I The proposals from this time were for the most part realized, in no small measure due to the vision and energy of Carsten Bresch, to whom we owe thanks for establishing Biology III. However, Limnology was relocated from Falkau in the Black Forest to Lake Constance with the support of the VW-Foundation, and later had to be given over to the newly founded University of Constance. Personnel growth from 1962 Conversion of both old Professorships and appointments to the new Chairs: Hans Mohr (General Botany and Plant Physiology) Bernhard Hassenstein (General Zoology and Behavioral Biology) Carsten Bresch (Genetics) Hans Joachim Elster (Experimental Ecology, Limnology) Hans Grisebach (Biochemistry of Plants) Ottilie Wilmanns (Plant Sociology, Geobotany) Peter Sitte (Ultrastructural Research, Cell Biology) Gerhart Drews (Microbiology) Klaus Sander (Developmental Biology of Animals) Günther Osche (Evolutionary Biology and Ecology) Rainer Hertel (Molecular Biology) Finally in the year 1971 the series of professorial appointments ended with the naming of Hanns-Christof Spatz to the Chair of Biophysics. On 31.12.1971 he was sworn in by Friedrich-Wilhelm Siburg, the Chancellor at that time. All Full Professors received the same official title: 'Professor of Biology', since the teaching and research areas overlapped.
1964 to 1969	Institutional Growth from 1964 Planning and building a new Biocenter in the Botanical Garden. These buildings were intended for Institutes II and III. Biology I (Zoology) remained in the building complex in the Institute Quarter (with its new auditorium) until moving into a new building (1997). Today the three Biological Institutes are reunited on the grounds of the Botanical Garden in Schänzlestrasse / Hauptstrasse. The period of construction was a difficult phase for those involved. (Thanks to the goal shared by all and stable mutual trust, no serious tensions arose.) The Chair of Cell Biology as well as those in Botany were housed in very cramped quarters in the old Botanical Institute, which had suffered severe damage in the War. We were able to find space elsewhere to put much of Microbiology. Professors Bresch and Hertel had to work in the USA during the years when their new institute was being built. Old Botanical Institute
1969	Redesigning and modernization of the Botanical Garden. Prof. Dr. Dieter Vogellehner (Tübingen) was named Director of the now autonomous institution.
1970	Founding of the Faculty of Biology under the new charter of Albert-Ludwig University Freiburg. In the school year 1969/70 the microbiologist Gerhart Drews, the last Dean of the now 'old' Natural Sciences-Mathematics Faculty, was entrusted with the task of dissolving this institution and founding the new faculties, including the Faculty of Biology. Right after the founding of the Faculty of Biology we established with the support of the German Research Foundation (DFG) the inter-faculty Collaborative Research Center "Molecular Basis of Development". This institution served for longer than a decade as a stabilizing element of the successful research work in the new faculty. Particularly important partners from neighboring faculties were the biochemists Helmut Holzer and Karl Decker from the pre-clinical area of the Medical Faculty. Both received the right to supervise doctoral students in the Faculty of Biology.
	Prof. Dr. Hans Mohr