It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Prof Werner Granzeier, an outstanding scientist, passionate engineer and valued mentor who played a key role in shaping Hamburg's aviation industry.

Prof Granzeier took up his professorship at HAW Hamburg in 1989 in the Department of Automotive Engineering and Aircraft Construction. His focus, Vehicle and Aircraft Exterior and Interiors, became a flagship subject of the university under his leadership. His colleague Prof Jutta Abulawi recalls warmly: ‘He was a fantastic colleague and a gifted designer who taught with great commitment and brought a lot of positive energy to our university. As far as I know, he organised and led 10 excursions to the USA for students, founded our current Expo team and was very well connected in the global aviation and automotive industries. He not only impressed students with his artistic skills, but also inspired them and gave them a lot of courage to be creative and design-oriented and to gain more confidence in freehand drawing through practice.’

Prof Granzeier's unique ability to bring people together was universally appreciated. ‘Literally no door was closed to him - whether in industry, in research institutions or with international partners,’ recalls Prof Gordon Konieczny, also a former colleague in the Department of Aircraft Technology and Aircraft Construction at HAW Hamburg. ‘Anyone who knew Professor Granzeier knew that he was a very special guy with a big heart - unmistakable in his manner, with an open, direct nature and a sharp mind. He was extremely well-known and highly regarded, not only professionally but also as a person. We will miss him very much.’

Beyond the boundaries of the university, Prof Granzeier was a formative force in the Hamburg aviation industry since the early 2000s. His vision and commitment played a key role in the creation of Hamburg Aviation. His long-time colleague Walter Birkhan recalls: ‘I'd known Prof Granzeier since I (re)joined the HWF in 2002 and the start of the development of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region Aviation Cluster. He took an interest in our work right from the start, always supported us and was there to help and advise us. Since then, I have found him to be one of the most prominent figures in the field of cabin technology at Hamburg's universities, who has repeatedly and vehemently supported the strengthening of engineering training in this field as well as the industrial strength and expertise in Hamburg. He has not only trained many new cabin engineers and helped them to start a career in the Hamburg aviation industry, but has also developed many pioneering concepts and solutions for the aircraft cabin of the future with his engineering firm IDS. He has thus made HAW one of the world's leading centres for university education in this subject.’

Prof Granzeier leaves behind a special legacy with the Crystal Cabin Award, whose foundation and success are closely linked to his name. As initiator, long-standing juror and board member until 2022, he played a key role in shaping the award and making it what it is today - a globally recognised award for innovation in the aircraft cabin.

The award of the Airbus A380 Medal by the Hamburg Senate in 2008 was a well-deserved recognition of his exceptional services to Hamburg as an aviation centre and his role as a bridge builder between business, science and politics.  

Prof Granzeier was also passionate about supporting new talents in the aviation industry. He supported university projects at the ILA in Berlin with enthusiasm and dedication and engaged with 8- to 12-year-olds about the wonders of aviation in the lecture series ‘Fascination of Flying - Technology for Children’. His commitment also extended to programmes such as proTechnicale, where he contributed to Hamburg's support programme for young women taking up STEM professions.

In an international context, Prof Granzeier was a valued ambassador for Hamburg's aviation industry. In co-operation with the aviation supplier association Hanse Aerospace, he built bridges between business and science, particularly in transatlantic relations. His contacts with Boeing and other international partners opened up new perspectives for small and medium-sized companies in particular.

Prof Granzeier's creative vision was impressively reflected in his design concepts. His flying wing concepts attracted a great deal of attention as part of the German government's Leading-Edge Cluster Competition (2008), as did the ‘Hamburger Interiors’ design study for an astronaut capsule.

His commitment also extended to numerous committees and institutions in the aviation industry, including the DGLR German Aerospace Society, the AIAA American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the German Aerospace Forum.

With the death of Prof Werner Granzeier, Hamburg has lost an outstanding personality whose passion and vision had a lasting impact on the city's aviation industry. He leaves behind a gap that will be difficult to fill. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathy are with his family at this difficult time. Prof Werner Granzeier will be remembered as a brilliant scientist, inspiring visionary and loyal friend.

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