The Bavarian Order of Merit is considered a “sign of grateful recognition for outstanding scientific achievements and services to the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian people.” Through his life's work, Ulrich L. Rohde acts as an outstanding scientific ambassador for Bavaria around the world. He has rendered outstanding services to the Free State of Bavaria and its reputation as a center of science through his scientific and social contributions.
Minister President Söder praised Rohde as a "universal genius" whose accomplishments span science, industry, education and the promotion of young talent. He highlighted Rohde's outstanding contributions in the fields of radio frequency (RF) and microwave engineering, noting that his work has had a lasting impact on areas as diverse as space travel, 5G communications, defense technology, medicine and photography. Söder emphasized that Rohde, with more than 50 patents and professorships at five international universities, has made an enormous contribution to technical progress, prosperity and security in Bavaria. Söder continued: “For his extraordinary life's work, Rohde is receiving the most exclusive award that Bavaria has to offer—the Bavarian Order of Merit. There are a maximum of 2,000 living recipients of this order. A heartfelt thank you for such outstanding work!”
Rohde received the honor with characteristic modesty: "I accept this award with gratitude and respect. I am very pleased about the appreciation of my life's work that this order represents,” said Rohde. "My close connection to my Bavarian homeland, but above all to the local research community, has always been an important element of my values and my scientific work. I make my contribution to Bavaria's progress and well-being out of conviction and without claiming any special merits.”
Rohde's scientific focus is on RF and microwave technology. His work primarily deals with the theory, mathematical representation and practical implementation of low-noise, highly linear microwave circuits in electronics. Since 1962, he has published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and approximately 150 scientific essays and conference papers, as well as six textbooks with John Wiley and Springer Verlag. In 1982, Professor Rohde and his team at RCA proposed and demonstrated a technique that is now known as software defined radio (SDR). This technology is now successfully used in all modern radio and communications devices, as well as all smartphones.
In 2025, the Pioneer Award of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, established by the Ulrich L. Rohde Foundation, was awarded for the first time to Prof. Gerhard Fettweis on the recommendation of the selection committee. The award honors outstanding researchers for technological excellence that has also had a broad societal impact. With prize money of €300,000, it is the most highly endowed award in the field of RF communications technology in Germany.
The lecture accompanying the book presentation, attended by more than 140 guests from the academic world, took place in the library of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities – a place where Einstein, Heisenberg, and other leading scientists once familiarized the world with their innovative approaches and concepts. The 204-page, large-format volume has been published in an exclusive edition of 1,000 copies in German and English. It is available only upon request.
You can download the lecture here: