Institut  The Max Weber Institute for Sociology mourns the loss of Prof. Dr. Matthias Koenig

The Max Weber Institute for Sociology at Heidelberg University mourns the loss of Prof. Dr. Matthias Koenig, Professor of Macrosociology, who passed away on 12 January at the age of 54. With his passing, the Institute has lost an outstanding academic figure and an influential colleague.

Since his appointment in 2020, Professor Koenig had provided important impetus for sociology at Heidelberg. From 2023 to 2025, he served as director of the Max Weber Institute for Sociology and contributed significantly to the strategic development of the institute in research, teaching and transfer. Students and staff valued him as a precise, demanding and at the same time supportive academic teacher and as a committed promoter of young academics.

Professor Koenig leaves behind a diverse and internationally visible body of work in sociology. He had a particular influence on the sociology of religion, migration, history, global and transnational sociology, and made key contributions to comparative perspectives in the social sciences. His work is groundbreaking for a new generation of sociologists.

Professor Koenig had an excellent national and international network and was committed to academic exchange and the connection between research, politics and society beyond the university, including as Vice-President of the German Research Foundation.

The Max Weber Institute for Sociology will honour Professor Koenig's memory. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues.