Volker Diekert

Fly now work later: Volker Diekert was born in Hamburg in 1955, learned gliding and later para gliding, had some excellent school teachers at high school and gained his first insight into mathematics there. He studied mathematics with a minor in computer science in Hamburg. He received a grant from Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, which also enabled him to spend a year abroad in France. There he was very fortunate to be able to write a thesis with Alexander Grothendieck in Montpellier and to work as a supervisor for a children's camp for a few summer weeks. Back in Hamburg, and after receiving his diploma in Hamburg, his career path led via Regensburg (doctorate with Jürgen Neukirch), Munich (habilitation) to the chair for Theoretical Computer Science at the University of Stuttgart, which he held until his retirement in 2023. Volker Diekert has three adult children and several grandchildren. Personalities such as Alexander Grothendieck, Ernst Witt and Jürgen Neukirch have had a lasting influence on his work and life.