Technische Universität Braunschweig
Prof Dr Ing Jochen Zehfuß
17 September 2026
For 40 years, the Braunschweig Fire Safety Days have been bringing together science and practice.
To mark this anniversary, we look back over the past four decades with Professor Jochen Zehfuß, scientific conference chair and head of the field of study on fire safety at the Institute for Building Materials, Solid Construction and Fire Safety (iBMB) at Technische Universität Braunschweig. We also want to ask him what topics are currently driving fire research and what fascinates him personally about the subject of fire safety.
One of the defining events was the Düsseldorf airport fire in 1996, which was caused by welding work in a terminal. Seventeen people died. The damage to property amounted to around half a billion marks. Two terminals were severely damaged by the fire; one had to be demolished and rebuilt. The disaster led to a fundamental overhaul of the regulations and the establishment of fire safety as a distinct planning discipline. Fire safety certificates now had to be issued. New regulations were introduced concerning smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, escape routes and the control of lifts in the event of a fire. This disaster marked a turning point that brought about lasting changes to fire safety...
