HEINRICH KUTTRUFF
17 August 1930 – 15 September 2024
We mourn the loss of Prof. Dr. Heinrich Kuttruff, who passed away on September 15, 2024, at the age of 94 after an outstanding life's work.
He was an extraordinary personality, characterised by the highest level of expertise and a very modest attitude. Those who were allowed to do their doctorate with him appreciated the freedom and support, a gentle encouragement here and there, the calm and friendliness while still receiving clear and critical guidance. Always the perfect gentleman. Until just over 10 years ago, he regularly used his emeritus office and took part in the Institute's activities, over a period of more than 40 years. Even after his retirement, he stayed in touch with us.
Heinrich Kuttruff was born on August 17, 1930 in Engen in Hegau. He studied physics at the Universities of Freiburg and Göttingen, finally joining the 3rd Institute of Physics in Göttingen in 1953, where he completed his diploma thesis on the frequency dependence of sound pressure in rooms and obtained his doctorate in 1958 under Erwin Meyer for a thesis on optical and acoustic model experiments on the generation of diffuse sound fields in reverberation chambers. This work formed the basis for everything that was subsequently theoretically underpinned, which we know today as wave-theoretical room acoustics.
He finished his habilitation in 1962 with a thesis on a completely different area of acoustics, namely the relationship between acoustic cavitation and sonoluminescence. In 1968 he was appointed adjunct professor (and acting head of the institute) at the Göttingen Institute, then in 1969 to a professorship for electroacoustics at the then Technical University Darmstadt. For the longest period of his work in acoustics, he was Professor and Director of the Institute of Technical Acoustics at RWTH Aachen University from 1972. He retired in 1995. He dealt with technical acoustics in all its breadth, but most intensively with room acoustics and ultrasound.
Heinrich Kuttruff was also active and well connected nationally and internationally far beyond his own university. He was co-editor of ACUSTICA from 1972 to 1995 and a member of the editorial board of Applied Acoustics from 1975 to 1995. He was a board member of the International Commission for Acoustics, ICA, from 1978 to 1981 and ICA Secretary General from 1981 to 1987. This also explains the excellent contacts and high esteem in which Kuttruff's name is held in international circles.
His commitment, his scientific achievements and his high reputation led to various awards and prizes, including the Helmholtz Medal of the Acoustical Society of Germany, DEGA, in 1996 and an Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Acoustics, IOA UK, in 2003, which also awarded him the Rayleigh Medal in 2005. In 2019, he was made an honorary member of DEGA. He also holds an honorary doctorate in engineering (2001, Technical University Dresden).
In addition to his scientific work, it should not be forgotten what a dedicated teacher he was. His lectures and practical courses were mainly attended by students of electrical engineering and physics. In the basic subject “Technical Acoustics”, there were over 100 students in some semesters. In addition, between 1972 and 1995, Heinrich Kuttruff was the supervisor and mentor of around 500 graduates in their degree theses, leading them to successful careers in acoustics. Subsequent generations will continue to benefit from his scientific articles and textbooks. These include “Room Acoustics” (1st edition 1973), “Physics and Technology of Ultrasound” (1988) and “Acoustics - An Introduction” (2004).
We will miss Heinrich Kuttruff very much. We will always remember him as an acoustician with great impact, but also as a very friendly person.
Michael Vorländer
