Founders' stories
Our emeriti Niklaus Wirth, Carl August Zehnder and Walter Gander have not only shaped research and teaching at the department, but also had an impact on ETH Zurich and all of Switzerland. In the interviews, they share their memories of the time.
Niklaus Wirth (✝)
Faculty member from 1968 to 1999
Niklaus Wirth was a Swiss computer scientist and Full Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich from 1968 until 1999. He designed several programming languages, including Pascal, and pioneered classic topics in software engineering. In 1984 he received the ACM Turing Award, generally recognised as the highest distinction in computer science, and in 1987 the Computer Pioneer Award from the IEEE. In 1981, Niklaus Wirth founded the independent Division for Computer Science and the associated study programme together with Carl August Zehnder, Jürg Nievergelt and Peter Läuchli. Niklaus Wirth's work and passion drove progress in several areas: the introduction of an independent study programme in computer science at ETH Zurich, the foundation of the Department of Computer Science and the field of computer science all around the globe. Owing to his visionary character, Niklaus Wirth managed to bring computer science innovations to Switzerland and establish them here. His research contributions are largely responsible for the fact that the study programme and the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich exist today. Prof. em. Niklaus Wirth had a remarkable impact on the field of computer science: The programming language Pascal is Niklaus Wirth's best-known achievement. His accomplishments reach much further, from the successor language Modula-2, to the Oberon system and the workstation "Lilith", to name a few. However, Pascal marked the beginning of Wirth’s influence on programming languages.
Niklaus Wirth died on 1 January 2024, just weeks before his 90th birthday. Wirth’s achievements have decisively shaped the perspective of several generations of programmers and still are of great importance today.
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Carl August Zehnder
Faculty member from 1970 to 2003
Carl August Zehnder is a Professor of Computer Science and was a faculty member at ETH Zurich from 1979 until 2003. His main focus concerned data and databases, including large information systems, information management, project management in IT, IT education, and IT law. In 1981, Carl August Zehnder founded the independent new Division of Computer Science IIIC and the associated study programme together with Niklaus Wirth, Jürg Nievergelt and Peter Läuchli – a long process that only succeeded at the fourth attempt. After the division was established, Zehnder became its first head and fundamentally shaped it with his data-driven approach. In parallel with his teaching and research activities, Professor Zehnder was engaged in additional responsibilities for ETH Zurich including Rector's delegate for study organisation, ETH Vice-president, and later head of the Department of Computer Science. As a militia General Staff officer with totally 4 years of service he has also been engaged in introducing IT to the Swiss army, and he served in the board of several professional organisations for IT/ computer science.
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Walter Gander
Faculty member from 1987 to 2009
Walter Gander is a computer scientist who was working at ETH Zurich from 1987 until 2009. His main focus was scientific computing. In 1989, together with the two senior research associates Peter Arbenz and Hans Hinterberger, he founded the Institute of Scientific Computing at D-INFK and was at the same time head of the departmewnt. In 1997, he took on the role of Department Head and Division Head – a post he held for four years. Walter Gander led the Swiss supercomputer initiative to procure the national supercomputer in Manno, thus laying the foundation for today's Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS). Walter Gander was not only a researcher but also a visionary and a pioneer. He was an early advocate for the promotion of women in computer science, as well as for the establishment of independent computer science classes in schools.
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Get more insights into the groundbreaking research contributions that took place at the Department of Computer Science here.