When he invited the members of the Department to his farewell party, the most common reaction was: "What, you're leaving already?" Prof. Dr. Rolf Hohenbild had been too lively and active in recent years as Dean of Studies for anyone to imagine him in retirement.

“After A-levels I personally learned the most during my apprenticeship as an industrial clerk at Siemens, but the company was too big and too perfect to make a real difference,” Hohenbild admits. His studies in economics and business administration in Berlin and Bochum led him to a position as an assistant at the newly established Chair of Management Accounting at the Ruhr University. “Alongside that, I had to fight for the time to pursue my doctorate,” the retiree reports.

In 1973, the economist joined the Giessen -Friedberg University of Applied Sciences. The newly established Department of Economics needed reinforcements. "Looking at the old photos, the four serious colleagues from back then were quite brave to hire me, a long-haired, unconventional, aging '68er," the 65-year-old recalls.

Internal accounting and controlling were his main teaching areas. In addition, he taught investment and production management for many years. He was always passionate about the content of business administration studies, combined with the question of the values ​​and skills required by graduates.

Hohenbild held almost every position in the Department and significantly shaped it through his humorous, unconventional, and collegial manner. What students appreciate today as the vibrant Department atmosphere and culture arose from many small mosaic pieces, to whose composition he contributed out of deep conviction.

For many years, he chaired the examination committee for event organizers at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), thus demonstrating his close ties to the business world, which are also reflected in numerous publications. Many former graduates are now contacts in the companies where he supervises practical semesters.

Dean Prof. Dr. Horst-Dieter Geuting described him as a "man of action" at the farewell celebration. "He accomplished more in our Department than anyone else. Whenever there was work to be done, he was always there. He was driven by an unyielding desire to shape things and left his mark on the Department – ​​and certainly no marks left behind! He enjoyed being involved wherever cornerstones were being laid and structures created: for example, in Department culture, spatial planning, quality development, public relations, and study organization."

FH Vice President Prof. Dr. Harald Danne cited "education, expertise, and curiosity" as characteristic qualities of his long-time colleague in the Department of Economics. Hohenbild is distinguished by his ability to think strategically. At the same time, he is a "philanthropist" with a sensitive and compassionate core.

Hohenbild himself admitted that he owed his universal popularity to a rather pragmatic principle: "You can't love everyone, but you can treat everyone decently."