Honors by the University of Bremen

The University of Bremen awards various honors to recognize outstanding achievements of individuals who have been or continue to be particularly committed to the University of Bremen. This may be in the areas of research and teaching, national and international relations or cooperation, or for their overall community commitment linked to the University of Bremen.

Honorary Doctorates

A doctorate honoris causa (Dr. h. c.) is granted by the University of Bremen to persons who have made exceptional research contributions to the arts and sciences or have stood out through linking academic research with practice.

  • 1983 Prof. Dr. Adolph Lowe (economics)
  • 1985 Prof. Dr. Marie Jahoda (humanities and social sciences)
  • 1987 Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sonnemann (social sciences)
  • 1988 Prof. Dr. Alfred Sohn-Rethel (philosophy), Prof. Dr. Benoit Mandelbrot (mathematics), and Dr. Werner Niefer (production engineering)
  • 1989 Prof. Dr. Rudolf Wiethölter (law)
  • 1991 Prof. Dr. Walter Kerz (geosciences)
  • 1992 Prof. Dr. Hans Keilson (humanities and social sciences)
  • 1994 Prof. Dr. Kurt W. Rothschild (economics)
  • 1996 Prof. Dr. Björn E. Westlin (psychology), Prof. Dr. Heinrich Hannover (law), and Prof. Dr. Karl Pribam (psychology)
  • 1997 Prof. Dr. Alexander M. Prokhorov (production engineering)
  • 1998 Prof. Dr. Joseph Weizenbaum (computer science)
  • 1999 Prof. Dr. Glen Elder (sociology)
  • 2001 Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Trüper (biology) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Immanuel J. Broser (physics)
  • 2002 Prof. Dr. Robert L. Heilbronner (economics)
  • 2004 Prof. Dr. h. c. Hans Koschnick (political science),  former Mayor and President of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen and Prof. Dr. Hans Macherauch (production engineering)
  • 2005 Prof. Dr. Don Lucca (production engineering), Prof. Dr. George Herrmann (production engineering), and Dr. Jochen Franzen (chemistry)
  • 2007 Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Max Kaase (social sciences)
  • 2008 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. E. h. mult. Dr. h. c. mult. Oskar Mahrenholtz (production engineering) and Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Jutta Limbach (law)
  • 2009 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Friedrich Wilhelm Bach (production engineering)
  • 2011 Prof. Dr. PhD Wolfgang H. Berger (geosciences)
  • 2012 Prof. Dr. Ulrich K. Preuß (social sciences) and Prof. Dr. Alfred K. Louis (mathematics)
  • 2016 Prof. Dr. Peter Masuch (law)
  • 2022 Prof. Dr. Caren Sureth-Sloane (economics)

Policy on the Awarding of Honorary Doctorates (honoris causa (Dr. h. c.) by the University of Bremen (in German)

Honorary Citizens and Sponsors of the University of Bremen

To acknowledge special merits and services, the university awards the title “Honorary Citizen and Sponsor of the University of Bremen”. The honor is awarded in form of a certificate in which the special merits are listed.

  • 1993 former Senator Rolf Speckmann, member of the “unifreunde” association, co-founder of the initial group of sponsors Bremer und ihre Universität (Bremen citizens and their university) (Nolting Hauff foundation, Wittheit, and unifreunde)
  • 1997 Friedo Berninghausen, treasurer of unifreunde, founder of the Berninghausen Prize for Excellence in Teaching and Conrad Naber, unifreunde member
  • 2002 Prof. Dr. Bengt Beutler, chair of unifreunde; Dr. Eberhard Haas, board of trustees of unifreunde; and Charlos Landmark, chair of the board of trustees of the Wolfgang Ritter foundation
  • 2007 Dipl.-Kfm. Walter Messerknecht (unifreunde)
  • 2009 Christa Fuchs and Prof. Dr. h. c. Manfred Fuchs
  • 2011 Moritz Thape, former mayor

Policy on the Awarding of the Distinction "Honorary Citizen and Sponsor of the University of Bremen" (in German)

Honorary Senators

In appreciation of special merits and in order to foster its academic cooperation and partnership with academic institutions in Germany and abroad, the University of Bremen awards the title of Honorary Senator of the University of Bremen.

  • 1996 Sam Nujoma, President of Namibia

Policy on the Awarding of the Distinction "Honorary Senator of the University of Bremen" (in German)

Honored with the Medal of Honor of the University of Bremen

The University of Bremen awards the University of Bremen Medal of Honor in recognition of special services to the University of Bremen. The medal is awarded to individuals.

  • 2000 Dr. Dietrich Maronde (geosciences)
  • 2001 Joachim Weiß, managing director of the BEGO dental company and Dr. Carsten Rosenhagen, unifreunde member
  • 2004 Dr. Frank Hengerer, board of trustees of the foundation Leibniz Institute for Materials Engineering – IWT and Walter Messerknecht, unifreunde member, founder of Messerknecht Informationssysteme GmbH
  • 2007 Norbert Krause, head of the division universities and research at the Senator for Education and Science
  • 2009 Robert Lemmen, department of urban planning and building regulation at the Bremen Senator for Environment, Urban Development, Mobility and Europe
  • 2010 former Senator Josef Hattig (Bremen Senator for Economics, 1997 to 2003)
  • 2013 Dr. Almut Satrapa-Schill (Robert Bosch Foundation, Stuttgart)

Policy on the Awarding of the University of Bremen Medal of Honor (in German)

Fellows of the University of Bremen

The University of Bremen appoints as fellow of the University of Bremen German and international professors who have distinguished themselves through outstanding academic achievements (in research or teaching) or in the field of international relations at the University of Bremen. Personalities from the world of business and society who have rendered outstanding services to academia can also become fellows of the University of Bremen in accordance with the policy below.

  • 2006 Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. Wilfried Brauer, Technical University of Munich, awarded though Faculty 3
  • 2008 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr.-Ing. E. h. mult. Dr. h. c. Hans Kurt Tönshoff, Leibniz University Hannover, awarded through Faculty 4
  • 2013 Prof. Dr. Harmut Schneider, emeritus professor of the University of Cologne, Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, awarded through Faculty 5

Policy on the Awarding of the Titles "Fellow of the University and Honorary Fellow of the University of Bremen" (in German)