11. September 2014 15:26
In memoriam Hans Kahlmann (1937 - 2014) - First chairman of CRAF
On September 3, 2014 Hans Kahlmann passed away at the age of 76 years.
Hans was employed by ASTRON in The Netherlands from 1976 until his retirement in 1999. In his position as head of the telescope group and later as head of the Observatory he noticed an increasing amount of interference that was received by the radio telescopes. In the summer of 1985 Hans Kahlmann and Titus Spoelstra discussed this issue with Willem Baan. A plan was developed to organise the European radio astronomers to have a concerted voice at the regional European level.
In the spring of 1987 a meeting, chaired by Hans Kahlmann, was organised that resulted in the founding of CRAF. Hans became the first chairman of CRAF, a role that he fulfilled until 1995. We will remember Hans as one of the founding fathers of CRAF and as the first CRAF chairman. He was an important person in the history of CRAF and without him CRAF would not be what it is today.
The ESF extends its condolences to his family and to the CRAF community.
