History of the MPA University of Stuttgart

The MPA can look back on a history of more than 135 years. Here you can get an overview of the most important key data and the directors from then until today

Key Data

1884 Foundation of the Materials Testing Institute
1930 Separation of the mechanical engineering and civil engineering departments into two independent institutions; the mechanical engineering department retains the original name "Staatliche Materialprüfungsanstalt"
1936 Renaming of the civil engineering department to "Institut für Bauforschung und Materialprüfungen des Bauwesens"
1952 Renewed renaming of this division to "Amtliche Forschungs- und Materialprüfungsanstalt für das Bauwesen (FMPA-Bauwesen)"
1953 The FMPA receives the addendum "Otto-Graf-Institut"
1980 The FMPA is assigned as "Forschungs- und Materialprüfungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg (Otto-Graf-Institut)" to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Technology Baden-Württemberg
2000 Reintegration of the Otto-Graf-Institute as "Forschungs- und Materialprüfungsanstalt für das Bauwesen, Otto-Graf-Institut (FMPA)" into the University of Stuttgart
2003 Fusion of the "Staatliche Materialprüfungsanstalt (MPA) Universität Stuttgart" and the "Forschungs- und Materialprüfungsanstalt für das Bauwesen, Otto-Graf-Institut (FMPA)" to the "Materialprüfungsanstalt Universität Stuttgart (MPA Stuttgart, Otto-Graf-Institut (FMPA)), a
central institute of the University of Stuttgart

Institute Directors

1884 - 1922 Prof. Carl von Bach

1922 - 1927 Prof. Richard Baumann

1927 - 1931 Prof. Otto Graf (interim director)

1931 - 1940 Prof. Erich Siebel

1940 - 1947 Prof. Otto Graf

1947 - 1961 Prof. Erich Siebel

1961 - 1976 Prof. Karl Wellinger

1976 - 1998 Prof. Karl Kussmaul

1998 - 2003 Prof. Eberhard Roos

1927 - 1950 Prof. Otto Graf

1952 - 1969 Prof. Friedrich Tölke

1969 - 1972 Prof. Gustav Weil

1973 - 1990 Prof. Gallus Rehm

1990 - 2003 Prof. Hans-Wolf Reinhardt

2003 - 2011 Prof. Eberhard Roos (executive director)

2003 - 2006 Prof. Hans-Wolf Reinhardt (director)

2006 - 2008 Prof. Christoph Gehlen (director)

2008 - 2010 Prof. Christian Große (interim director)

2012 - 2024 Prof. Harald Garrecht (executive director)

since 2014  Prof. Stefan Weihe (director)

Founder of the Materials Testing Institute

MPA building in Stuttgart-Berg

The new MPA building on the campus in Stuttgart-Vaihingen 1969

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