Wilhelm Walcher

Prof. Dr.-Ing Dr. rer. nat. h.c. Wilhelm Walcher (July 7 1910 in Kaufbeuren/Germany - November 9 2005 in Marburg/Germany) was professor for experimental physics at the Philipps-University Marburg, author of a well-known course book for physics in Germany and an influential sciencist in the Western German research structures after the Second World war.

Walcher studied in Munich and Berlin and graduated as engineer in 1933, until 1937 he was assistant at the Technical College of Berlin and wrote his Ph.D. thesis in that time. From 1937 till 1942 he worked at The university of Kiel, were he finish his habilitation (second book) in 1942. After that he was senior researcher and docent at the University of Göttingen. In 1947 he became regular professor for experimental physics at the Philipps-University Marburg. He was dean of the physics faculty and director of istitute of physics for a long time. From 1952 till 1954 he was rector of the Marburg University. His emeritation was in 1978.

From 1959 till 1961 he was president of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, from 1961 to 1967 vicepresident of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. In 1975 he got the Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz (Cross of Merit, Senior Class).

Beyond physics, Walcher was interested in the responsibility of the researchers for their work. He was one of the Göttinger 18, who protested against the plan of Adenauer to arm the Western German army with tactical nuclear weapons in 1957.

In Germany, many students of physics and other natural sciences, as well as medicine, know Walcher as the author of the popular textbooks Praktikum der Physik and (with Detlef Kamke) Physik für Mediziner. Walcher is also co-author (with Wutz and Adam) of a book on "Theory and Practice of Vacuum Technology".