Christine Reicher

Christine Reicher is a Professor and Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair for Cultural Heritage and Urbanism at RWTH Aachen University. She leads the Chair and Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism, focusing on sustainable urban transformation, cultural heritage preservation, and international research collaborations. Her work spans the Faculty of Architecture and engages with global challenges like climate change, resource management, and resilience in urban contexts.

Christine studied architecture at RWTH Aachen and ETH Zurich. Her career includes leadership roles in urban design and planning, such as founding the international Master's program 'Transforming City Regions' (2019–present) and directing the Institute for Urban Design and European Urban Studies since 2018.

Her research emphasizes the intersection of urban design, cultural heritage, and structural change. Key projects include the New Regional Bauhaus initiative and spatial strategies for lignite regions , blending historical preservation with modern urban needs. She has spearheaded field trips to UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Úbeda and Baeza, Spain, and contributed to international conferences on postmodern architecture and climate resilience.

Christine Reicher’s scientific awards include the Großer Preis der Baukultur from DAI in 2022. She has supervised student competitions, including the ICOMOS Students’ Competition '1960+: Pleas for the preservation of post-modern buildings' (2023), where her students won first place.

Christine leads interdisciplinary teams in the Graduate Colleges program, mentoring three doctoral candidates and two associated researchers. Her institutional roles include participation in the UNESCO Chairs Conference 2024 and co-leadership of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and ICOMOS collaborations.