“Do you know Nowacki?”

I first came into conscious contact with “Nowacki” in 1983. I began my study abroad at the University of Michigan, and every German student in the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Department was asked, “Do you know Nowacki?” At the time, I had to pass.

That changed a few years later. As a Ph.D. student, attending meetings of the STG Ship Hydrodynamics Technical Committee was virtually mandatory. And at that time, Prof. Nowacki gently and diplomatically led this committee, encouraged various initiatives, and mediated in the sometimes heated discussions.

My personal scientific path led me via various stations back to the Institute of Naval Architecture at the University of Hamburg, this time as a university assistant with the goal of habilitation. After some deliberation and consultations, the rough direction of travel for the habilitation project was clear: I was to prove myself with an overview topic on numerical ship hydrodynamics outside my comfort zone, specifically at the TU Berlin. Besides broadening my scientific horizons, I was also to learn a thing or two about departmental in-fighting, but that’s another story. My on-site mentor in Berlin was to be Prof. Nowacki, an obvious choice, not only because of his broad expertise but also his diplomatic skills.

The first conversation took place over a beer in the bar of the Atlantic Hotel in Hamburg. Prof. Nowacki paid, winked at me in his typical manner, and said, “So tell me about your ideas, Mr. Bertram.” Over the next three years, he encouraged a lot, gave good advice, and never criticized directly. He did it much more skillfully. “Your lecture was received with, ahem, moderate enthusiasm on the side of the faculty.” Followed by some, “maybe you could…. just as a suggestion.” Well, all’s well that ends well. Despite occasional moderate enthusiasm, the Habilitation project was successfully completed.

Since then, I have remained connected with the “Berlin School” around Prof. Nowacki. And over the years, I have also come to better appreciate the great contributions of Prof. Nowacki in bringing together people and technologies in modern ship design.

Humanly and scientifically, you have always remained a role model for me, dear Prof. Nowacki. Thank you for everything.

Volker Bertram