Günter Hommel

Günter Hommel (born July 22, 1925 in Kroppen , † February 12, 2009 in Heidelberg ) was a German police officer, known as the founder and editor of the manual of dangerous goods (the Red Hommel for short due to the red cover).

Günter Hommel joined the Navy in 1943 and was taken prisoner by the British in 1945. Günter Hommel originally wanted to study physics and chemistry, which he was denied due to a lack of funds in the post-war period. He decided to go to the police. When the American military administration began to build up the water police in the American sector, he was hired in Wiesbaden in 1946. He completed an apprenticeship as an administrative graduate (FH) for the police. Günter Hommel took on management positions as head of department in Heilbronn and Heidelberg in the fifties and sixties , before finally moving to the water police department as head of department in Mannheim in 1966changed. He ended his professional career in 1985 as First Chief Inspector of the Baden-Württemberg Water Police Department and Head of the Dangerous Goods and Environmental Protection Division.

In the 1960s there were some spectacular accidents involving dangerous goods on the Rhine (see list of accidents involving inland navigation ), such as B. the collision of the ferry Tina Scarlett , which collided with a kerosene freighter. Both ships involved in the accident and 9 other Rhine freighters burned in the flames. There were loss of life and large numbers of seriously injured people. Günter Hommel found that the police, doctors, the fire brigade etc. had no information whatsoever regarding the hazardous substances and the necessary measures in the event of accidents. That is why Günter Hommel started with a collection of material that was designed for the water police. However, the complexity of the matter quickly made it necessary to encourage other knowledge carriers and the chemical industry to cooperate. Günter Hommel was able to win several professors of chemistry and medicine at the University of Heidelberg, representatives of the chemical industry (BASF, BAYER and HOECHST) as well as several large fire brigades to work in a team of authors.

The loose-leaf collection of dangerous goods was first published by Springer-Verlag Heidelberg in 1970 and developed into a standard work in the following years . The complete works now comprise eight volumes with CD-Rom. The work was translated into several languages early on (including Japanese and Hungarian). Even after retiring from active police service, Günter Hommel, together with his wife Ingeborg Hommel and the team of authors, continued to work on the manual of dangerous goods. After Günter Hommel died in February 2009, the Springer publishing house in Heidelberg and the remaining team of authors decided to continue the work.

Günter Hommel received high awards for his life's work: in 1985 he received the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon for his work, and in 1989 the Cross of Merit First Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany .

Günter Hommel lived in Heidelberg. He was married and had three children.

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personal data
SURNAME	Hommel, Günter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German police officer
DATE OF BIRTH	July 22, 1925
PLACE OF BIRTH	Kroppen
DATE OF DEATH	February 12, 2009
Place of death	Heidelberg