Head of the Collegium Helveticum passes away
Thomas Hengartner, Director of the Collegium Helveticum, died on 10 May at the age of just 57. He had taken over management of the joint ETH, UZH and ZHdK think-tank in 2016.
Thomas Hengartner studied anthropology and dialectology, modern German literature and Swiss history before obtaining his PhD from the University of Bern in 1989. After receiving his habilitation, he became a professor at the University of Hamburg’s Institute for Ethnology in 1996, which he led for more than ten years until 2010. Hengartner served as chair of the Kulturwissenschaftliche Technikforschung research college, which he founded in 2002. He was also the chair of the German Ethnological Society from 2003 to 2007.
He was appointed a professor of popular culture at the University of Zurich in 2010 and took over leadership of the Collegium Helveticum in January 2016. Its mission is to promote interaction and dialogue between the humanities and social sciences, natural sciences and engineering, medical sciences and the arts.
Practised transdisciplinarity
Hengartner’s important scientific contributions to the analysis and interpretation of the relationship between technology, culture and daily life made him the obvious choice for the role. He took a consistently transdisciplinary approach in his work, covering topics such as 19th and 20th century entertainment and communication media, the culture and history of luxury food, and the progressive digitalisation of society.
In addition to urban research and the study of new communication habits, his focus areas also included cultural and scientific technology research, a field that he played a considerable part in shaping and developing. Hengartner received the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Award from the German Research Foundation in 2002.
Understanding digitalisation
At the Collegium Helveticum, Hengartner initiated the «Digital Societies» focus area, with seven fellows (including three ETH professors, both link results in German) working on transdisciplinary research projects in the period leading up to 2020. This includes investigating the various facets of the influence and consequences of digitalisation in society.
“Thomas Hengartner was a talented and inspiring researcher, a brilliant organiser and a kind human being,” says Sarah Springman, ETH Rector and president of the Collegium’s board of trustees. “I am extremely saddened by his untimely death. In light of the impact of digitalisation on society, Professor Hengartner has established the Collegium Helveticum in one of today’s most pertinent research fields. We regret that he will not be able to reap the rewards of his work. We all owe him a debt of gratitude and will remember him and his achievements with fondness and respect.”