In 1966, Dr. Wolfgang Haber came from the Westphalian Museum of Natural History to the Technical University of Munich, as TUM was then called. On the Weihenstephan campus, he became professor at the newly established Chair of Landscape Ecology. The soon very popular degree program was called Land Management; Prof. Wolfgang Haber integrated natural and social sciences as well as creative disciplines into the new curriculum.
Popular courses with field trips on landscape ecology
The inspiring field excursions with Prof. Haber, during which he shared his understanding of the landscape, were also very popular with students. You can get a personal impression of this in the audio recordings from a special field trip that took place on Prof. Haber‘s 90th birthday, featuring various sound recordings from the terrain: „The landscape ecological perspective” (in German, September 2015)
From the 1970s onwards, students had the choice between two areas of specialization. Prof. Haber had developed applied landscape ecology from garden and landscape architecture. This meant that he researched the ecological principles of nature conservation and landscape management. Other areas of focus included ecosystem research and the ecology of land use.
Wolfgang Haber‘s involvement in politics and public life
Prof. Wolfgang Haber also contributed his scientific findings to politics and public life: he was involved in the Advisory Council for Nature Conservation and Landscape Management at the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry, as well as at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety.
Prof. Haber chaired the German Federal Government‘s Council of Experts on Environmental Issues and was the long-term spokesperson for the German Council for Landscape Conservation. In 1993, he received the German Environmental Award for his commitment to nature conservation, which went far beyond his teaching and research activities.
Nature conservation: Biotope mapping and the first national parks
Biotope mapping was a milestone in nature conservation: From 1973 to 1978, the Chair of Landscape Ecology at TUM mapped biotopes worthy of protection on behalf of the Bavarian State Ministry of Regional Development and Environmental Issues. The “Biotope Mapping Bavaria” project was widely recognized by experts at the time and also served as a model for other federal states. It provided a Bavaria-wide comparable overview of the location, distribution, and condition of valuable biotopes worthy of preservation.
Prof. Wolfgang Haber also played a key role in the establishment of the Berchtesgaden National Park and the Bavarian Forest National Park with his expertise. Today, TUM maintains its own research station in Berchtesgaden.
Combining agriculture and ecology
Outside national parks, nature conservation and land use do not have to be contradictory: more than 50 years ago, Prof. Wolfgang Haber repeatedly made it clear that, for him, nature and environmental protection without or even against agriculture was inconceivable. In a society based on the division of labor, modern humans are also dependent on agriculture.
Nevertheless, the conflicting interests between environmental protection and nature conservation on the one hand and agriculture on the other were obvious to him. He also addressed them quite directly: “Conflicts between agriculture and environmental protection” was the title of an article he published in the Bavarian Agricultural Yearbook in 1977. However, he also pointed out that both agriculture and ecology are bound by the laws of nature and have similar technical foundations.
From ecosystem research to “One Health”
Prof. Wolfgang Haber was an early pioneer of today‘s "One Health" approach at the TUM School of Life Sciences in Weihenstephan: This interdisciplinary research examines the relationships between humans, animals, plants, microorganisms, soil, and the environment.
Our scientists provide insights that contribute to maintaining the balance between humans and nature and improving resilience to environmental change – also for future generations.
Publication marking Prof. Haber's 100th birthday with tribute from the Dean
Friends and colleagues have paid tribute to Wolfgang Haber's life by publishing a Festschrift, which was released by the Freisinger Verein für Nachhaltigkeit e.V. (Freising Association for Sustainability). The publication appears in the MUTation series – Texts on Sustainability and is available there as a free PDF download. In issue 11, starting on page 50, you will find an article by Prof. Ingrid Kögel-Knabner, Dean of the TUM School of Life Sciences, with the heading “Wolfgang Haber: Pioneer of Landscape Ecology” (in German).
The dean concludes her very personal article with the words: “With vision, integrity, and tireless dedication, Prof. Haber was committed to the protection and sustainable development of our environment. He was a pioneer, mentor, warning voice, and bridge builder between disciplines. His life‘s work is a shining example of interdisciplinarity in action and shows how science, politics, and practice can be connected.”
