Reinhard Schmidt, former Chief Mining Officer and Honorary Professor, was appointed Honorary Senator of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg on 11 October 2026. The title of Honorary Senator is in recognition of his outstanding services to the TU Bergakademie Freiberg over more than three decades. Schmidt served as Chair of the Board of Trustees (until 2008) and of the University Council (2010 to 2024), as an honorary professor, and through his tireless personal commitment to the development and future of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg.
In honouring Professor Reinhard Schmidt, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg is recognising a highly respected figure who has rendered outstanding service as an academic mentor, bridge-builder and dedicated ambassador for Freiberg as a centre of science, and who has made a particularly significant contribution to the development and profile of the university. His exceptional commitment to forging links between the university, industry, politics and public administration, as well as to preserving the tradition of mining science and fostering international networking, has played a key role in strengthening the national and international profile of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg as a University of Resources steeped in tradition yet oriented towards the future.
In recognition of his services to cooperation between the Saxon Mining Authority and the university, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg and the City of Freiberg had already honoured Schmidt with honorary citizenship. In 2017, Schmidt was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit.
