One of the fathers of modern acoustics and founder of speaker/microphone manufacturer Sennheiser, Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser died on Monday. He was 98 years old.

Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser dies

Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser (9 May 1912 – 17 May 2010) in front of the building in which he founded the company in summer 1945. (click on image for hi-res)

OLD LYME, Conn. – May 19, 2010 – Late during the evening of 17 May 2010, only a few days after his 98th birthday, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Fritz Sennheiser, audio pioneer and founder of today's Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG, passed away. The audio industry has lost a huge figure, not only in terms of his technical expertise but also in terms of his humanity.

Through his company Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser had a crucial influence on the development of sound transmission technologies and was instrumental in forging many ground-breaking developments in electroacoustics and transmission technologies. Under his guidance the first shotgun microphones and open headphones were created and he oversaw important developments in wireless radio and infra-red transmission. It was completely natural for Fritz Sennheiser to give his developers the "creative and technical freedom" they required. His humanity also shone through when – considering the significant workload involved in running an expanding company – he took time to share his knowledge with students, inspiring them with an enthusiasm for audio technology. In 1982 he retired from the management of the company, handing over to his son, Prof. Dr. sc. techn. Jörg Sennheiser.

Fritz Sennheiser continued to take a vivid interest in the company he founded in summer 1945. His enthusiasm for audio technology, his creative curiosity, coupled with a modesty that is all too rare these days, his self-discipline, sincerity and generosity in his dealings with people, will remain an example to follow for all those who knew him.