On September 4, 2020, Prof. Dr Dr h. c. mult. Richard Köhler has passed away after a short and serious illness. His death leaves us in deep mourning. From 1979 until his retirement, he was director of the Department of Marketing and Market Research at the University of Cologne. Through his activities, he contributed significantly to the excellent reputation that the German marketing discipline today has attained internationally.

Richard Köhler belonged to the generation of "marketing pioneers" who built up the discipline in German business administration. As a business economist, he has always kept an eye on the whole field of business administration and the entrepreneurial practice.  He was interested in the entire breadth of the subject, and in his long career, he set various priorities from decision orientation to marketing planning and -strategy to brand management. His list of publications comprising more than 240 titles bears witness to his enormous creative power.

He has received numerous awards for his great commitment and achievements, both at home and abroad. For example, he has rendered outstanding services, especially in the area of young talent, to the German Academic Association of Business Research (VHB), where he was on the board of directors.

Even after retiring, Richard Köhler has always remained closely associated with the WiSo Faculty and has always made regular visits to the members of the Marketing Area. We look back on Richard Köhler's long career with respect and deep appreciation. We remember him as an extremely kind colleague and a person who was able to convey decency, closeness and true curiosity.

Detailed appreciation in the obituary of the Marketing Area: https://marketing.uni-koeln.de/en/team/emeriti/nachruf-prof-dr-dr-hc-mult-richard-koehler 

German Academic Association of Business Research (VHB): https://vhbonline.org/en/?L=1​​​​​​​