Hans Dieter Knapp

Hans Dieter Knapp (born 1950) studied biology in Greifswald and geobotany in Halle from 1968 to 1973, earning his doctorate in 1978. A geobotanist and landscape ecologist, he focused particularly on forests. In 1990, he played a significant role in developing Germany’s national park program. From its establishment, he directed the Vilm Island branch of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, including the International Academy for Nature Conservation, and was an honorary professor at the University of Greifswald’s Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology. He initiated a European beech forest initiative and was involved in nature conservation.