Rüdiger Glaser

Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Glaser holds the Chair of Physical Geography at the University of Freiburg within the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources. His extensive academic career spans over three decades with significant contributions to climatic geography, particularly in historical climatology and climate change research. He maintains active roles in multiple research projects, editorial boards, and academic committees at both national and international levels.

Glaser completed his geography studies at Julius-Maximilians-University in Würzburg (1981-1986) with minors in Botany and Administrative Law, plus additional credits in Geology, Sociology, Spanish, Statistics and IT. His academic progression includes:

• Diploma thesis on remote sensing with Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (1986)
• Doctoral research on climate reconstruction for Mainfranken, Bauland, and Odenwald (1989)
• Habilitation with thesis on historical climatology in Central Europe since 1000 AD (1997)
• C3 Professorship at Heidelberg University (2001-2004)
• C4 Professorship at Freiburg (since 2004)

His research focuses on historical climatology, including weather and climate reconstruction, climate extremes analysis, and social conceptualization of climate phenomena. Glaser has developed the Historical Climate Database Germany and conducts scale-related analyses of global change across different landscape zones. His environmental planning work addresses sustainability processes, Agenda 21 implementation, and assessment procedures like ecological footprint analysis. In e-Geography, he applies remote sensing techniques and develops e-learning modules for physical geography education. His regional expertise centers on Central Europe and North America, with particular attention to global change manifestations in these regions.

His publication record shows a clear trend toward applied climate research with increasing focus on municipal climate adaptation, risk archetypes, and cross-border cooperation in the Upper Rhine region. Recent work integrates climate science with social dimensions, particularly examining how climate change impacts different demographic groups and economic sectors, with special attention to vulnerable populations like the elderly.

Glaser's scientific recognition includes:

• Instructional Development Award from University of Freiburg (2014)
• Media Prize of the University of Freiburg (2004)
• Virtual Teaching Award from Baden-Württemberg (2003)
• Canadian Government Scholarship (2002)
• Election as full member of the German Academy of Regional Studies (2004)

As an academic advisor, Glaser has supervised numerous doctoral and master's students whose research spans climate vulnerability assessment, energy efficiency, renewable energy potential, and urban climate adaptation. He serves on multiple examination boards and selection committees, including for the M.Sc. Geography of Global Change program. His current research is supported by diverse funding sources including EU INTERREG, DFG, and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment.

Glaser leads research teams working on transnational climate adaptation projects like Clim'Ability Care and RiverDiv, which involve collaboration between German, French, and Swiss institutions. His work emphasizes practical applications of climate science for municipal decision-making and cross-border environmental management in the Upper Rhine region.