EHPRGIn memoriam: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wortmann (1943–2026)
We mourn the passing of Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Gerhard
Wortmann, a well-renowned and long-standing member of
the worldwide community of Mössbauer scientists.
Prof. Wortmann’s scientific work was dedicated to
understanding matter under extreme conditions. At the
University of Paderborn he established and led the direction
of high-pressure solid-state spectroscopy, pursuing the
central idea that pressure is a powerful control parameter
that reveals the fundamental mechanisms governing
magnetism, electronic structure, lattice dynamics, and
structural transformations in condensed matter.
A defining feature of his legacy is the methodological
strength with which he combined local, high-resolution
probes and large-scale research facilities. His group advanced and applied Mössbauer
spectroscopy, as well as synchrotron-based techniques such as Nuclear Forward Scattering
(NFS) and Nuclear Inelastic Scattering (NIS), often in diamond-anvil cell environments
reaching pressures in the megabar regime. These approaches enabled groundbreaking insights
into materials ranging from metallic 3d/4f systems and complex magnetic compounds to
questions of phonon behavior and phase stability at high pressure.
Particularly influential were his contributions to high-pressure studies of iron and related
systems, where phonon and thermodynamic properties at very high pressures connect
fundamental solid-state physics to conditions relevant for planetary interiors. Through
long-standing collaborations, including work at major synchrotron facilities, he taught generations
of students and early-career researchers in a style of experimental physics that combined
profound home-laboratory expertise with the opportunities of modern research infrastructures.
As a teacher and mentor, Prof. Wortmann was highly valued for his intellectual clarity, high
standards, and his commitment to careful experimental reasoning. He also engaged with
broader scientific questions in public lectures, reflecting his conviction that physics should
remain connected to curiosity about the natural world.
We remember Gerhard Wortmann with gratitude and respect, as a colleague of integrity, a
dedicated academic teacher, and a physicist whose work strengthened the field and our
community. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who worked with him.