Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Jürgen Pötschke is a globally acclaimed scholar in the field of corrosion of refractory materials. Born in Berlin during World War II, he pursued his studies in Metallurgy at the Technical University of Berlin. In 1969, he earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical Metallurgy under the guidance of Prof. Dr. M. G. Frohberg. After 3 years at Thyssen AG, Prof. Dr. L. von Bogdandy, he received a scholarship from the German Research Foundation. At the Institute for Theoretical Metallurgy at RWTH Aachen University, Prof. Dr. O. Knacke, he completed his habilitation in 1978.
For a decade, Prof. Pötschke contributed to the Krupp Research Institute in Essen, subsequently assuming an eight-year leadership role at Krupp Pulvermetall–GmbH. In 1995, he became the managing director of the German Institute for Refractories and Ceramics GmbH in Bonn. In 2003, UNITECR honored him as "Distinguished Life Member." Upon retiring in 2006, J. Pötschke continued his passion for enhancing the theoretical understanding and predictability of refractory wear. His dedication is evident in over 130 publications and international presentations.