From the laudation: “Volkmar Trommsdorff, born in Darmstadt in 1936, is one of the most internationally successful petrologists from continental Europe. (...) He played a key role in shaping today's revolutionary geoscientific understanding of the Alpine orogen. This was made possible by his consistently holistic approach, ranging from large-scale tectonics and field mapping to structural geology, mineral reactions, phase diagrams, and petrogenetic grids. (...) Of the approximately 130 diploma students and 50 doctoral students he supervised during his years in Zurich, many have gone on to hold leading academic positions and continue to bring distinction to the Trommsdorff school.”