Hofrat Dipl.-Ing. Friedrich Ruhm deceased


Hofrat Dipl.-Ing. Friedrich Ruhm passed away on February 15, 2022, at the age of 86. Until the end of 2001, he was director of the former Federal Forest Research Institute (FBVA), now the Federal Forest Research Center (BFW).

Ruhm was born in 1936 in Oberndorf, Lower Austria. After completing secondary technical school for mechanical and agricultural engineering, he studied forestry at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna. From 1966 to 1970 he worked as a scientific assistant at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. In 1971, he began working at the FBVA Institute for Torrent and Avalanche Control. In 1976 he was appointed to the Ministry of Agriculture and returned in 1979 as Administrative Director. In 1984 he was appointed scientific director.

During his directorship, major projects were realized, for example, monitoring networks on forest condition around the issue of "forest dieback", the Generating Forest Reserve Program and the Natural Forest Reserve Program. In view of the new challenges, research branches such as avalanche research, forest genetics, climatology, mycorrhiza research and soil biology were built up to international standards. Friedrich Ruhm was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honor of the Republic for his achievements.

Dr. Peter Mayer
Head of the BFW


01.03.2022