Ekhard Salje Deceased

Professor Ekhard Salje passed away on 24 February 2025 in his adopted home of England. Salje was a member of the University Council of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) from October 2011 and was elected its Chairman in October 2015 - a position he held until the end of his term of office on 30 September 2019. In October 2019, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities awarded him an honorary doctorate for his academic achievements and commitment to JMU, and in 2020 he became an Honorary Senator of JMU.

Ekhard Salje's Curriculum Vitae

Ekhard Salje was born in Hanover on 26 October 1946. "After a start in theoretical solid state physics, Ekhard Salje has become one of the world's leading experts in applying advances in theoretical and experimental physics to problems in mineralogy and solid state physics," according to the website of the Royal Society, of which he has been a member since 1996.

Salje wrote his doctoral thesis on quantum optics in 1972, and after his habilitation he became the youngest professor at the University of Hanover in 1975 at the age of 29. After moving from the Institute of Quantum Physics there to the Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography, Salje began to grow crystals from aqueous solution and worked on the physical effects of perovskites, iodates and tungstates.

In 1985, Salje moved to the University of Cambridge. In physics at the Cavendish Lab, he worked on Raman spectroscopy, while in earth sciences he focussed on electron microscopy and diffraction. From 1998 to 2008, Salje headed the Faculty of Earth Sciences in Cambridge, and from 2001 to 2008 he was President of Clare Hall College. He was the first German to hold the position of Master of a Cambridge college.

In 2008, Salje had fulfilled his administrative duties in Cambridge and returned to research. He has published well over 600 papers. He has received several awards for his work, including the Humboldt Research Award (2000) and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2006). Among other honours, he was a Knight of the Order of the Palmes Académiques and became a member of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences in Barcelona in 2010.

Meritorious Service to JMU in Many Ways

During his time as a member and Chairman of the University Council, Salje has rendered outstanding services to JMU in many ways. Among other things, the Siebold Collegium Institute for Advanced Studies (SCIAS) is largely due to Salje's impetus.

Salje also significantly supported the preparations for the second round of the Excellence Strategy by playing a key role in the conceptualisation of the application from the outline to the full application phase. Salje had "impressively succeeded in fulfilling the leadership of the JMU University Council with outstanding personal commitment and exceptional success", it was stated accordingly when the honorary doctorate was awarded in 2019.

"With his broad expertise, his great foresight and his outstanding strategic thinking and actions, Ekhard Salje made a significant contribution to the development of our university. We are deeply indebted to the deceased for his many services to our Alma Julia and will honour his memory," said JMU President Paul Pauli.