After almost three decades at TU Ilmenau, Professor Martin Löffelholz retired at the end of the 2025 summer semester. In an interview with Johanna Radechovsky, research assistant in the Research group Media Studies, he looks back on his academic career - from his beginnings as a journalist to his role as one of the world's leading experts in crisis and war communication.
Professor Löffelholz, you have been involved in the development of communication and media studies for around four decades. Which stage of your career do you look back on as the most formative?
Each stage had its own significance, but the move to Ilmenau in 1998 was certainly an important step. At the time, the TU Ilmenau was a relatively new location for communication and media studies. As the founding director of the Institute of Media and Communication Studies, I had the opportunity to help shape the research and teaching content from the very beginning. From 2002, I was also able to establish the International Crisis Communication Research Group, which has developed into an internationally visible institution over more than two decades.
You recently received the prestigious "Bridge Award for Excellence in Connecting Research to Practice" from the International Crisis and Risk Communication Association in the USA - and are regarded as one of the leading experts in crisis and war communication. How did this focus come about?
My personal background was certainly a key starting point: as a young reporter in Sri Lanka back in the 1980s, I reported on the incipient civil war. This and other experiences of insecurity, danger and disinformation sparked my interest in how communication works in extreme situations. During my academic career, it became increasingly clear to me that crisis and war communication are not marginal issues, but central touchstones of a democratic public sphere. They decide whether people trust, cooperate and act - or whether fear, disinformation and polarization prevail.
What distinguishes crisis and war communication from other fields of research in communication science?
In crises and wars, the fundamental functions of communication are at stake - as we see in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, in the USA, but also increasingly here in Germany. While in normal times the focus is on exchanging information, forming opinions or entertainment, in wars and crises it is often a matter of life and death, the legitimacy of state action and security. In disasters or armed conflicts, it becomes very clear which communicative mechanisms create trust - and how quickly trust can be destroyed.
You have acquired and managed many large research projects at TU Ilmenau. What experiences have you had with this?
Coordinating large research consortia - such as the recent DFG-funded DECIPHER consortium - is undoubtedly challenging, but it also opens up the opportunity to investigate complex issues in a multidisciplinary way. With the support of the German Research Foundation and the former Federal Ministry of Education and Research, we were able to analyze the communication of governments in seven Western democracies. The pandemic as a global multiple crisis has shown that not only medical measures are crucial, but also how governments communicate with their citizens. I hope that our findings will help to make our societies more resilient so that they can cope better with future crises.
You have not only conducted research in Germany, but also internationally, particularly in Southeast Asia. What insights have you gained from this?
My years in Asia, particularly in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, whether as a visiting professor or as President of the Swiss German University in Jakarta, have made it clear to me how different communication cultures can be. Crisis and war communication can by no means be explained one-to-one according to Western patterns. Culture, religion, political traditions - all these things shape how people react to risks and threats.
When you look back on your work in Ilmenau - what makes you particularly proud?
Above all, that we have succeeded in establishing a lively, internationally networked communication science in Ilmenau. Many of my former doctoral and post-doctoral students are now professors or in leading positions themselves. In addition, with our work on crisis and war communication, we have set topics that are highly regarded in society. And of course I am delighted that our international collaborations, for example with Indonesia, have not only stimulated my own research, but have also opened up new horizons for students and younger colleagues.
What advice would you give these younger academics?
Get involved in international networks early on. Think in interdisciplinary terms. Keep an eye on communication practice. Stay independent. And be patient - research is not a sprint, but a marathon.
What topics will crisis communication research focus on in the coming years?
The big question is: How is artificial intelligence changing war and crisis communication? AI can enable better warning systems, but it also harbours risks - from targeted disinformation to the dehumanization of life and death decisions. At the same time, we are living in an age of polycrises, in which health, climate and security crises are intertwined. The Crisis Communication Research Group will continue to deal with such issues - in future under the sole leadership of Dr. Andreas Schwarz, who has been co-director of the group for many years.
Finally, how do you feel about retiring?
Above all, I am grateful for the wonderful colleagues and students I have had the privilege of working with. And I am optimistic about the next phase of my life. Because I will continue to publish and be involved internationally. For me, science was - and is - not just a profession, but a way of life.
A Farewell film about Prof. Löffelholz - by Dr. Bernd Rasem
Music license was acquired by Dr. Bernd Rasem