Honorary Member 2025
Prof. Dr. Roland Prinzinger
Laudatory Address
It is our great pleasure, on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the German Ornithologists’ Society (DOG), to honor a scientist who has had a particularly profound influence on the work of our society over many decades: Prof. Dr. Roland Prinzinger.
Roland Prinzinger was involved with the DOG in many ways. From 1986 to 1989, he served as Treasurer, from 1992 to 1997 as Vice President, and finally from 1998 to 2001 as President. Over these roughly 25 years, he provided important impetus and created structures that endure to this day. During his presidency, he organized the impressive jubilee conference marking the 150th anniversary in Leipzig, initiated a series of special publications, and was responsible for the commemorative volume 150 Years of the German Ornithologists’ Society – an enduring standard work on the history of our society.
Prinzinger was always committed to further developing the DOG both organizationally and substantively. This also included carefully documenting and evaluating the membership structure – an important foundation for strategic decisions. At the same time, he knew how to combine tradition and renewal: his term in office was marked by opening the DOG to new fields of inquiry and by increased international exchange.
As a scientist, too, Roland Prinzinger achieved outstanding results. More than 300 publications, numerous dissertations and diploma theses supervised by him, as well as the training of entire generations of researchers, attest to his lasting influence. His work on the comparative physiology of metabolism in birds and mammals set standards. His research ranged thematically from questions of breeding biology and the functioning of the avian heart to aging research and aspects of xenotransplantation. He set early benchmarks with the monograph Der Schwarzhalstaucher in the Neue Brehm-Bücherei series (1979), which is still regarded as a reference work today.
From 1984 to 2012, he held the Chair of Metabolic Physiology at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. There he combined basic research with practical teaching and helped firmly anchor ornithology within the life sciences. In addition, he was a dedicated communicator and networker: more than 150 radio and television appearances as well as numerous public lectures made him a widely visible voice in bird and aging research in the German-speaking world. His clarity of presentation, combined with occasional irony, gave his contributions a distinctive tone.
With today’s appointment, the German Ornithological Society honors not only his scientific achievements, but also his many years of dedicated service to our society. Roland Prinzinger created structures that continue to support us to this day, and he advanced research that reaches far beyond ornithology.
On behalf of the German Ornithological Society, we warmly congratulate Prof. Dr. Roland Prinzinger on his honorary membership and thank him for his outstanding contributions.
Erfurt, 19 September 2025
Dr. Dorit Visbeck-Liebers
President
Dr. Elke Brüser
Laudator