Otto Meitinger


Otto Meitinger was a German architect and preservationist. From 1987 to 1995 he was president of the Technical University Munich.

Life

Meitinger was born as son of the first municipal architect of Munich Karl Meitinger. He studied architecture at the Department of Architecture of the Technical University Munich, finished his Staatsexamen and got his doctorate on the building history of the Munich Residenz.
From 1953 to 1963 he was Director of the Residenz Building Offices and in charge of the reconstruction of the Munich Residenz, including the Cuvilliés Theatre, court chappel, treasure chamber and Ornate Rooms. At that time the reconstruction of the Residenz was considered as example for the reconstruction of war-destroyed historical buildings all over Europe. From 1963 to 1976 he was head of the building department of the Max Planck Society and responsible for over 60 new institute buildings, domestic and abroad.
In 1976 he became Professor for Design and Preservation at the Technical University of Munich. In 1987 he was elected President of the University and stayed in office until his retirement in 1995. "He took the chance of generation change and won first class professors to secure the leading position of the TU in teaching and research."
Meitinger was member of a variety of professional societies and committees, i.e., at the German Academy of town planning, the Bavarian State Architectural Art Committee, the State Memorial Committee, the selection committees of the Bavarian State Foundation and the Hypo-Art-Foundation and the board of trustees of the Philip Morris Foundation.

Important work