Translated with DeepL.com
Karl Steinbuch is considered a co-founder of computer science. The Information Technology Center of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has been called the "Steinbuch Centre for Computing" since 2008. New findings now show that Karl Steinbuch, who researched and taught in Karlsruhe, already identified with unacceptable acts of war as a young man during the Nazi era. Regardless of his professional achievements, KIT is distancing itself from Steinbuch due to the new research findings and will therefore rename the KIT Information Technology Center the "Scientific Computing Center".
After Karl Steinbuch had shown a moderate political orientation in his scientifically creative phase, he turned to far-right positions after his retirement. Since it was already known in 2017 on Karl Steinbuch's 100th birthday that his views moved away from the political center with increasing age, that he turned to right-wing extremism after his retirement and regularly published articles in journals close to the far-right NPD at an advanced age, the KIT Executive Board expressly combined the recognition of Karl Steinbuch's professional achievements with the statement that KIT did not share the political views that Steinbuch held at an advanced age.
New findings about Karl Steinbuch
There are now new findings on Steinbuch's biography that show that even as a young man during the Nazi era, Karl Steinbuch identified with unacceptable acts of war (Anton F. Guhl: Kurskorrekturen eines Technokraten - Die politische Rechtswendung des Nachrichtentechnikers und Zukunftsforschers Karl Steinbuch nach 1970; Technikgeschichte Vol. 87 (2020) H. 4, pp. 315-334).
Name change from January 1, 2024
KIT has therefore decided to change the name of the Information Technology Center of KIT. The decision was confirmed in the KIT committees. KIT will implement the name change to "Scientific Computing Center" from January 1, 2024.
To the identical press release of KIT (german only)