Mechanics Research Communications 80 (2017) 3

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Mechanics Research Communications

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In Memoriam of Christian Miehe

Wolfgang Ehlers1, Sanjay Govindjee2,
Marc-André Keip1, Björn Kiefer3, Christian Linder4, Jörg Schröder5
1 Institute of Applied Mechanics, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Germany
2 Structural Engineering, Mechanics, and Materials, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley, USA
3 Institute of Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics, Chair of Applied Mechanics – Solid Mechanics, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany
4 Computational Micromechanics of Materials, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, USA

5 Institute of Mechanics, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany

At the early age of sixty, Christian Miehe passed away on 14th August The bulk of his over 100 archival papers revolved around advanced
of this year after a valiant battle with cancer. Christian began his re- material modeling with noteworthy facets in an amazing breadth of
markable scientific career with Diploma studies of Civil Engineering topics including but not limited to non-linear continuum mechanics,
at the University of Hannover, where he applied differential geometry and constitu-
also obtained his doctoral and habilitation tive theory of materials; discretization tech-
degrees. During that time, he went to Stan- niques, finite element design and solution
ford University as a research fellow of the algorithms; variational principles; multi-
German Research Foundation (DFG), where physics scenarios; phenomenological mate-
he spent two very fruitful and formative rial theory, elasticity, viscoelasticity, plastic-
years. It was in 1995 when he obtained a ity, damage and fracture mechanics; phase
call of the University of Stuttgart to lead the transitions, defect theories, configurational
Chair of Material Theory at the Institute of mechanics; homogenization techniques and
Applied Mechanics of the Department of scale bridging, coupled multifield problems,
Civil and Environmental Engineering. From thermo-, electro-, magneto-, chemo-me-
that time on, he shaped one of the most suc- chanical couplings; material stability, relaxa-
cessful and respected groups in the area of tion techniques, bifurcation analysis; struc-
computational mechanics around the world. tural mechanics; optimization methods,
Furthermore, he established the interna- parameter identification, and experimental
tional Erasmus Mundus master’s program mechanics. Christian devoted an impres-
in Computational Mechanics of Materi- sive intensity and truly contagious love for
als and Structures (COMMAS). Without a all these topics that are reflected in the ac-
doubt, Christian was one of the world’s top complishments of his many students. Chris-
researchers in computational mechanics. tian was the personification of the ideal
Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Christian Miehe
His inspiring and innovative work as well scholar and a beloved and respected mentor
4th January 1956 - 14th August 2016
as his clear and visionary way of thinking to young scholars. He devoted his life and
has dramatically influenced our commu- personality to advance and promote compu-
nity over the past 25 years. Christian combined a deep knowledge of tational mechanics and material theory. A great loss for the internation-
mechanics with thorough reflection on the important role that ap- al community, his early death leaves a deep void in the hearts of many,
plied mathematics plays in the general treatment of problem solution. but most tragically for his wife Elke and their two sons Robert and Paul.

doi:10.1016/j.mechrescom.2017.02.001