Former University Chancellor Bruno Forster Passes Away
08/14/2025Bruno Forster was Chancellor of the University of Würzburg for over 14 years, during which time he made outstanding contributions to the university. He has now passed away at the age of 84.
Always wearing a bow tie with his suit instead of a tie: that was just one of the accessories that made Bruno Forster unmistakable. Born in Weiden in 1941, the Upper Palatinate native was Chancellor of Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg from 1992 to 2006. Even in retirement, he was still highly committed to social causes - for the university and its alumni work, but also for the Mainfranken Theatre Würzburg. Bruno Forster passed away in Würzburg on 7 August 2025 at the age of 84.
After studying law, Bruno Forster embarked on a career in public service. He was head of the Human Resources Department, the Legal and Electoral Office and permanent deputy to the Chancellor at JMU's central administration before the University Senate elected him Chancellor in 1992. He held this office for more than 14 years. As chancellor, he was a member of the University Board and head of the central administration.
‘During my appointment negotiations in 2000, I found Bruno Forster to be an approachable and highly competent chancellor whose word could be relied upon. He was an impressive personality. With him as chancellor, the university developed excellently,’ said University President Paul Pauli.
Old University at Heart
In addition to the extensive tasks of modernising the administration, the reconstruction and refurbishment of the Old University and the Neubaukirche were of particular concern to him. During his time in office, construction work on the historic centrepiece of JMU was completed. On Forster's initiative, a successful fundraising campaign for a carillon was launched: the carillon was installed in the tower of the Neubaukirche in 2005 and enriches the city's cultural life with public concerts.
He has also rendered outstanding services to the university's own forest in Sailershausen. This had been devastated by hurricanes at the beginning of the 1990s. Forster managed to compensate for the resulting financial deficit within a few years and develop the university forestry office into a modern and profitable forestry operation.
Treasurer of the Alumni Association
Even in retirement, Bruno Forster continued to be involved with JMU. From 2012 to 2023, he was treasurer of the central alumni association. During this time, he took care of budget planning and other financial matters for alumni fundraising projects and a wide variety of events. He also acted as a mentor for the management of the Alumni Association: "You could always rely on him 100 per cent, even in difficult situations," says Alumni Representative Michaela Thiel.
Commitment to the Theatre
Bruno Forster's commitment to the Mainfranken Theatre in Würzburg showed that he was a culture enthusiast. From 2000 to 2024, he was Chairman of the Theatre and Orchestra Sponsors' Association. Together with Hans-Bernhard Bolza-Schünemann, he founded the Stifterkreis Rosenkavaliere in 2001, which has provided long-term financial support for the theatre's artistic work ever since.
Honours and Awards
The Theatre and Orchestra Sponsors' Association appointed him Honorary Chairman in 2024. The City of Würzburg honoured his commitment to the Friends of the Theatre and the Rosenkavaliere with the Cultural Medal in 2009 and awarded him the Silver City Plaque in 2017. Bruno Forster had already received the Federal Cross of Merit in 2002. JMU honoured its long-standing chancellor with the "Bene merenti" medal of merit in gold in 2007.
