Prof.DR. Bernhard Fleckenstein
since 1998, dece. 2021
On Bernhard Fleckenstein's initiative, the GfV was founded in 1990 as a separate scientific society for virology, which he then headed as founding president. He played a key role in shaping the field of virology in Germany and Europe by representing the interests of virology in many scientific committees and playing a decisive role in the founding of the European Society for Virology (ESV). Together with his wife Ingrid, Bernhard Fleckenstein established a foundation to support young virology researchers ( Funding Promovendenpreis der Society of Virology e.V. (GfV) | Society of Virology e.V. (g-f-v.org).
Prof. Dr Volker ter Meulen
since 2011
Volker ter Meulen was the first chairman of the GfV's Commission "Research and Young Scientists" after it was founded in 1990. He has very actively represented virology in many committees and also continuously promoted it as the longstanding president of the Leopoldina.
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Harald zur Hausen
since 2013, deceased 2023
Harald zur Hausen was on the founding advisory board of the GfV, which was established in 1990. In 2008, he received the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his work on the etiological role of HPV in the development of cervical cancer.
Prof. Dr Reiner Thomssen
since 2003
Reiner Thomssen was the first Chairman of the Commission "Continuing Education and Training" and Director of a large microbiological and virological institute in Göttingen. Together with Wolfram Gerlich, he himself developed and produced the first HBV vaccine and used it in studies. He has represented the entire breadth of microbiology and virology extremely knowledgeably, also in clinical terms.
Prof. Dr Hans J. Eggers
verst. 2016
Hans J. Eggers was on the founding advisory board of the GfV, which was established in 1990. He held one of the first human virology chairs in Germany in Gießen. His scientific focus was antiviral therapy and molecular biology of picornaviruses at a time when antiviral therapy was considered impossible. He was very committed as a clinical virologist and was an impressive research personality and scientific teacher.
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Rudolf Rott
deceased 2003
Rudolf Rott was the first chairman of the newly founded Section IV "Virology" in the DGHM in 1977, which can be regarded as the predecessor organisation of the GfV. He then represented the interests of the subject of virology as founding advisor of the GfV, which was founded in 1990.
Prof. Prof. Dr Werner Schäfer
deceased 2000
Werner Schäfer inspired groundbreaking work on avian influenza and retroviruses as a veterinary virologist. He was director at the Max Planck Institute for Virus Research in Tübingen and teacher of numerous German virologists.

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