At a special meeting on September 1, 2023, the Senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft decided to dismiss Executive Board member Prof. Dr. Alexander Kurz with immediate effect.
Hildegard Müller, Chairwoman of the Senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, commented on the decision as follows: "Following the termination of Prof. Dr. Reimund Neugebauer's contract, the further investigations initiated by the Senate have led to the discovery of facts which the Senate, on the basis of a comprehensive legal examination, also assesses as serious breaches of duty by Prof. Dr. Kurz to the detriment of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. As a result of these findings, the Fraunhofer Senate has dismissed Prof. Dr. Kurz from the Executive Board with immediate effect."
The Senate of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft also decided to examine claims for damages against Prof. Dr. Alexander Kurz and also against the former President, Prof. Dr. Reimund Neugebauer, to assert them if necessary and, if necessary, to enforce them in court. Raimund Neugebauer had already been dismissed months ago. The Federal Audit Office (BRH) has made serious allegations against Neugebauer, including inappropriately high expense claims. In May, the Fraunhofer Senate finally elected a new president: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Hanselka, the former head of the renowned Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
