A historic farewell in Adlershof
On 10 February 2026, the Geography Department at Humboldt-Universität in Berlin will bid farewell to a colleague who has helped shape the history of the department for decades. With his commemorative lecture, one of the longest-serving university lecturers in the history of HU will end his active teaching career: At the age of 91, Bernhard Nitz will once again stand at the lectern in the Erwin Schrödinger Centre in Adlershof. From a very special perspective, he will trace the development of geography at Humboldt University in Berlin from the post-war period, through the role of the institute in the GDR, to the early 1990s.
For generations of students, he was much more than a lecturer. His lectures, especially on the fundamentals of physical geography, enjoyed great popularity for decades. Professional precision, didactic clarity and his unmistakable personal style made Bernhard Nitz a fixture in our students' studies for generations – what one might rightly call an "institution". Even into his old age, he continued to impart the fundamentals of his subject with unbroken passion and intellectual alertness. Until a few years ago, he also led excursions at home and abroad, inspiring students outside the lecture hall to take an interest in geographical issues.
Contemporary witness between three eras
However, his significance for the institute extends far beyond teaching and research. As a contemporary witness, he has first-hand knowledge of the institute's development from the immediate post-war period (as a student) to the end of the 1990s (as a professor) – and has been working as a senior professor ever since. His academic career, which took him from his student days to a senior assistant position and then to a professorship at HU, reflects the central breaks and new beginnings in German academic history: the reconstruction after 1945, the decades of influence of socialist science policy in the GDR, and the profound upheavals of the reunification period.
Bridge builder for science
His memoirs combine institutional history with personal experiences from several political systems and scientific cultures. This perspective made him not only a valued colleague, but also an important discussion partner for younger scientists, who benefited from his wealth of experience.
The Geography Department and Humboldt-Universität bid farewell with great gratitude to a university teacher who shaped generations of students, preserved academic continuity and actively helped shape the transformation of the university.
Author: Prof. Dr Patrick Hostert, Department of Geography at HU