Hochschule Offenburg mourns the loss of Josef Hauser

Born on May 18, 1935, in Hofweier, Josef Hauser—like his grandfather and parents before him—began working at the local cigar factory at the age of 13. Because he had been fascinated by technology and machines from an early age, he quickly began making technical improvements to the equipment there. Four years later, he moved to Oberschopfheim to work as a plant mechanic at a machine-based quilt production facility. After an internship at AEG in Offenburg, he made up for his missing journeyman’s exam within a few weeks. In 1963, the passionate inventor finally started his own business out of a garage and developed it into “Hauser Elektronik,” a globally active company that, at the time of its sale in 1995, had 250 employees, including 40 engineers.   

To ensure a sufficient supply of young talent for his production of industrial cutting and sewing machines, Josef Hauser became involved early on with what was then the Offenburg University of Applied Sciences. More than 100 final theses were completed at his company. He also provided financial support for research on numerous occasions. For example, he helped fund a new electric vehicle for the Institute for Sustainable Energy Systems (INES) after the old one was destroyed in a fire. Josef Hauser also maintained close ties with Hochschule Offenburg in other ways. Among other things, he served on the university’s board of trustees for 20 years and was even its chairman from 1992 to 2004. Under his leadership, the board of trustees developed into an institution of equal importance to both the University and the business community. In recognition of his service, he was subsequently named an Honorary Senator and Honorary Chairman of the board of trustees.

“It is with great sadness, but also with deep gratitude, that we bid farewell to our friend and supporter Josef Hauser. Through his dedication, he made a tremendous contribution to the University and the region and left a lasting mark on the University,” said Rector Professor Stephan Trahasch. “The Hochschule Offenburg and its members mourn his passing alongside his family and will always honor his memory.”