After receiving his doctorate in 1967 from the University of Cologne under Hans Münstermann, Josef Kloock habilitated at the University of Regensburg in 1970. He then took up a deputy professorship at the University of Hamburg (1971/72), followed by a professorship in management accounting at the University of Cologne (1972-1994). From 1994 to 1997 he held the Chair of Business Administration, Internal Accounting and Controlling at the University of Halle-Wittenberg, which awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1998. A year earlier, he had also received this prestigious accolade from the St Petersburg Technical University. From 1997 until his retirement in 2001, Professor Kloock again researched and taught corporate accounting at the University of Cologne.
Josef Kloock's calm and objective manner often made many problems seem less serious. His vast experience and profound expertise made him a sought-after contact for our department and faculty, even after his retirement. His scientific contributions reveal his special analytical skills, which he had developed early in his studies of mathematics, physics and economics (from 1956 to 1963). Whether through the further development of production theory or variance analysis in cost accounting, Josef Wilhelm Kloock advanced the theoretical foundations of business administration in many ways. He was always keen to get his students excited about the subject of management accounting, which at first glance may seem rather dry. Professor Kloock was always a strict but - perhaps not least because of this - much-appreciated supervisor for his doctoral students.
Even in the almost 24 years since his retirement, personal contact between Josef Kloock and most of his doctoral students has continued. Meetings of several days with Professor Kloock and his doctoral students, together with their partners and families, took place regularly and were referred to, tongue-in-cheek, as the "Doctoral Students' Kloockoquium". The next Kloockoquium will take place in two months' time - for the first time without him.
With Josef Kloock, the Department of Accounting and Taxation and the entire Faculty have lost a loyal and competent companion. His commitment to research and teaching will serve as an example for a long time. We will sorely miss our colleague and honour his memory We wish his family the strength to get through this difficult time.
petenten Wegbegleiter verloren. Sein Einsatz in Forschung und Lehre wird uns noch lange als Vorbild dienen. Wir werden unseren Kollegen schmerzlich vermissen und ihm ein ehrendes Gedenken bewahren. Seiner Familie wünschen wir die notwendige Kraft, um diese schweren Stunden zu überstehen.