In memoriam Dr Max Rössler

Dr Max Rössler (born 1940) attended the Cantonal School at Burggraben in St Gallen, where he obtained his Matura. He subsequently studied mathematics at ETH Zurich and, in 1966, completed his doctorate under Professor Eduard Stiefel with a dissertation on orbital calculations for space missions.

Mathematics, space flight and investments

Dr Rössler then spent time at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he worked on a NASA research project involving the calculation of spacecraft trajectories. He subsequently returned to ETH Zurich as a Senior Scientist and lecturer in Applied Mathematics and Operations Research.

In 1978, Dr Rössler moved into the financial sector. At Schweizerische Kreditanstalt, he was responsible for the analysis of fixed-income investments and the management of investment funds. He later oversaw investment portfolios at the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (SUVA). He also served as an adviser to various Swiss private banks and as a member of the boards of both small and large companies.

Philanthropist and Honorary Councillor

Dr Rössler’s significant philanthropic commitment to ETH began in 2008 with a donation of CHF 10 million to the ETH Foundation. Since then, the endowment has funded an annual award for ETH professors in the expansion phase of their research careers.

The Rössler Prize is the most highly endowed research award at ETH Zurich and is presented each year at the ETH Foundation’s “Thanks Giving” event. During Max Rössler’s lifetime, 18 outstanding individuals received the prize. In honour of its founder, it will continue to be awarded in the years to come.

A lasting legacy

In 2013, a further major donation, made together with the Walter Haefner Foundation, enabled the establishment of the ETH Institute for Theoretical Studies (ETH-ITS). In 2019, another donation contributed to the realisation of HiLo, the visionary architectural project led by ETH Professor and Rössler Prize recipient Philippe Block on Empa’s NEST building in Dübendorf.

In recognition of his outstanding commitment to promoting teaching and research, Dr Max Rössler was appointed an Honorary Councillor of ETH Zurich in 2013. ETH Zurich and the ETH Foundation will remember him with gratitude.