We are saddened to report the death of Professor Dr. Hans Jürgen Schäfer (Hans) on 17 August
of 2024. Hans obtained his PhD under the guidance of Ulrich Schöllkopf at the University of
Heidelberg before carrying out postdoctoral studies at Yale with Kenneth Wiberg. Schäfer
returned to Germany in 1966 to assume a position at the University of Göttingen. There, he
initiated his independent career before moving to the University of Münster in 1973.
Schäfer lived a rich and meaningful life. He pioneered the development of organic
electrosynthesis and demonstrated its utility long before it had attracted the attention it currently
holds. Very early he realized the potential of electrochemistry for syntheses based on redox
reactions and championed the emergence of synthetic electrochemistry in the 70s and 80s of the
last century. Schäfer inspired scientists throughout the world, particularly those who wished to
begin a career involving organic electrochemistry, or simply wanted to learn how to carry out a
reaction electrochemically. He greatly supported organic electrosynthesis on a national, European,
and international level through his original research, active attendance at conferences, review
articles, and scholarly manuscripts. Within ISE he worked hard to promote the newly founded
Division 6 (Molecular Electrochemistry), and was also active in Divisions 5 and 7. He will be
dearly remembered by his friends and others in the organic electrochemistry community.