Mourning for Werner Dieste

Werner Dieste was born in 1957 in Anröchte, Westphalia, and after studying to be a teacher, he worked at the Institute for the Promotion of Young Journalists (ifp) in Munich from 1984 to 1990, and later as director of studies for journalism training. At the same time, he worked as a freelancer for various newspapers and magazines. In 1990 and 1991 he worked as editorial director Kip-NRW ("Kirche im privaten Hörfunk - Rahmenprogramm Nordrhein-Westfalen") in Essen. From December 1991 Dieste was an employee of MDR, until 1998 initially as Head of the Word Department at the Thuringia State Broadcasting Centre in Weimar, then from 1999 to 2001 as Head of the MDR Education Centre in Leipzig. From 2001 to the end of 2015, he was head of the MDR Regional Broadcasting Centre Thuringia.

Dieste was not only a journalist with heart and soul, but as a member of the university council he always accompanied the fate of the university with goodwill, supported it with commitment and contributed greatly to the prosperous development of the university. Before that, he had already accompanied the university in its early phase as a member of the Board of Trustees. We will remember him fondly as a "critical friend" and are grateful that we were able to walk a part of his path together with him. Our thoughts are with his family and his closest relatives.

On behalf of the University
Prof. Dr. Walter Bauer-Wabnegg
(President)