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The department’s history
On October 1, 1964, the first 36 students started their mechanical engineering studies at the “Staatliche Ingenieurschule für Maschinenwesen Lemgo (SIS Lemgo)” located in the Lindenhaus (near what is today the first-instance district court) and in the Echternschule.
- The professors Uhe and Schmitt starting up an historic aeroplane engine
This was followed on October 1, 1965, by the second department, the Department of Mechanical Production Engineering, today called department 7 “Production and Economy”, and on April 1, 1966, by the Department of General Electrical Engineering, today known as department 5 “Electrical and Information Engineering”, a partner department within the course of mechatronics studies.
On August 1, 1971, the SIS Lemgo with its three departments became part of the new Fachhochschule Lippe in Lemgo. The Mechanical Engineering/Design Department was renamed in Mechanical Engineering Department. At the same time, departments of Lage and Detmold were assigned to the Fachhochschule (Higher Education Institute).
Apart from the classical design-oriented mechanical engineering training, the field of mechatronics has evolved into a second pillar. In co-operation with the department of electrical and information engineering the mechatronics course of studies was implemented which later became the master course of mechactronic systems studies. To make it plain to everybody that this is new course and that the focus is not just put on mechanical engineering, the department war renamed in “Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics” in 2005. Today the Fachhochschule is called Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe.
The first head of the Mechanical and Design Engineering Department was Dr. Wiese, who was succeeded by Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Peter Gutcke. The Deans of the Mechanical Engineering Department were (in chronological order): Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Klaus Schürfeld, Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Heinrich Schotte, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Friedrich Kollenrott and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Millauer. Today Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alfred Schmitt is occupying the Dean’s office.
To this day some 40 student years have completed their studies with a total of roughly 2000 successful graduates leaving the University of Applied Sciences.
Against the background of such a long tradition, attractive, up-to-date and promising courses are presently offered.
