Kurt Mehlhorn awarded the Saarland Order of Merit

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Dr. h.c. mult. Kurt Mehlhorn, emeritus director of the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, was honored with the Saarland Order of Merit on August 20, 2025, in Saarbrücken. Minister President Anke Rehlinger presented this highest award of the Saarland during a ceremony at the State Chancellery in Saarbrücken.

From the Prime Minister’s laudatory speech: „Kurt Mehlhorn has shaped the profile of computer science in Saarland for over five decades – as a researcher, teacher, networker, and visionary thinker. With foresight and perseverance, he established institutions that today have an impact far beyond our state borders. He not only strengthened Saarland as a center for computer science, but also supported generations of young scientists. This life’s work deserves the highest recognition.“

A life dedicated to computer science

Kurt Mehlhorn, born in 1949, has lived and conducted research in Saarland since 1974, initially at Saarland University as a research assistant, then from 1975 as a professor of computer science. During his first year as a professor at the university, he had to represent himself as a visiting professor in his own chair, as at the age of 26 he was not yet old enough to be a full professor; he was only able to be appointed as such at the age of 27. At the end of the 1980s, Kurt Mehlhorn was accepted as a scientific member of the Max Planck Society and entrusted with the founding of the first Max Planck Institute dedicated exclusively to computer science. In 1990, the Max Planck Institute for Informatics was founded with Mehlhorn as its founding director and located in Saarbrücken. The location was chosen thanks in part to Mehlhorn’s decades of scientific work, which had contributed to the international reputation of computer science in Saarbrücken. Minister President Rehlinger emphasized that hardly any other scientist had shaped Saarland as a center for computer science over the past 50 years as much as Kurt Mehlhorn, and indeed continues to do so.

Kurt Mehlhorn during his acceptance speech. Photo: Staatskanzlei des Saarlandes.

Mehlhorn’s scientific work focuses on algorithms – the basis of every calculation. An algorithm is a precisely described sequence of individual steps for solving an (informational) problem. Over the past few decades, their further development has proven to be many times more important for the performance of modern computer systems than the mere increase in computing speed. In 1995, Mehlhorn and his colleagues founded Algorithmic Solutions Software GmbH, which set global standards with LEDA, a software library for graph theory and geometric calculations.

International recognition

Kurt Mehlhorn has received numerous national and international honors and awards for his decades of successful work as a scientist and scientific director, including such prestigious awards as the Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation, the ACM Paris Kanellakis Theory and Practice Award, and the Erasmus Medal from the Academia Europaea, as well as seven honorary doctorates.

Press contact and editorial:

Bertram Somieski
Tel: +49 681 9302-5710
E-Mail: somieski(at)mpi-klsb.mpg.de

Background Max Plack Institute for Informatics:

The goal of the Max Planck Institute for Informatics is to advance foundational research and drive innovation in key areas of computer science. The research at the institute covers a broad spectrum, ranging from the study of the fundamental principles of algorithms and logic to the study of systems such as the Internet and multimodal areas such as computer vision, computer graphics, databases and information systems, machine learning and artificial intelligence. By integrating these diverse areas and fostering a culture of collaboration, MPI-INF operates at the highest scientific standards and works to shape the computing landscape of tomorrow. www.mpi-inf.mpg.de

Background Max Planck Society:

The Max Planck Society is Germany’s most successful research organization. With 31 Nobel Laureates among the ranks of its scientists, it is on equal footing with the best and most prestigious research institutions worldwide. The more than 15,000 publications each year in internationally renowned scientific journals are proof of the outstanding research work conducted at Max Planck Institutes – and many of those articles are among the most-cited publications in the relevant field. www.mpg.de

Background Saarland Informatics Campus:

With 1000 researchers and 2800 students from 81 countries, Saarland Informatics Campus is one of the leading locations for Informatics in Germany and in Europe. 4 globally renowned research institutes and Saarland University with 3 collaborating departments and 24 academic programs cover all areas of computer science. saarland-informatics-campus.de/