Prof. Bernd Lötsch

Prof. Bernd Lötsch is an Austrian biologist, urban ecologist and one of the pioneers of the country’s environmental movement. Active in environmental causes since 1969, he became widely known for opposing environmentally damaging developments, including a proposed bridge across Lake Neusiedl and the Hainburg hydroelectric power plant.

In 1973, Bernd began establishing the Institute for Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation, which later became part of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. From 1986 onwards, he served as a university professor in Salzburg and as President of the Donau-Auen National Park Institute. In 1988, he was invited to speak at UNESCO seminars on ecosystem management.

From 1994 to 2009, Bernd served as Director General of the Natural History Museum Vienna. During his tenure, he strengthened the Museum’s role as a centre for scientific research, public education and environmental awareness. He also installed an exhibition model of Biosphere 2, bringing the pioneering closed ecological systems project to the attention of the Museum’s international audience.

Bernd became a prominent public voice through his proposals for more livable cities and environmentally responsible transport, his appearances on Austrian television and his outspoken engagement with contemporary ecological issues. He authored foundational manifestos for the Austrian Nature Conservation Union and was an early advocate of organic farming in Austria.

His many honours include the Austrian State Prize for Audiovisual Media in Research and Teaching in 1988, the Konrad Lorenz Medal in 1994, the Bavarian Nature Conservation Medal in 1995 for his work to preserve the last free-flowing stretch of the Danube in Bavaria, and the Konrad Lorenz State Prize for Nature and Environmental Protection in 1998.

The Institute of Ecotechnics came to know Bernd through his mentor and friend Konrad Lorenz, the pioneering scientist whose work helped establish the modern field of ethology—the study of animal behaviour. Bernd subsequently became a valued participant in the Institute’s international community, speaking at and contributing to many IE conferences. His lifelong commitment to ecological science, conservation and public understanding embodies the interdisciplinary spirit of the Institute of Ecotechnics.