Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ladislaus Kopetz

Ladislaus Michael Kopetz is born as the son of a k. u. k. pioneer officer. After his Matura in 1920 he began studying agriculture at the Hochschule für Bodenkultur (Dipl.-Ing. 1924; Dr. Bdkltr. 1928), where he joined Nordgau Vienna in the same year. After graduation, he is assistant at the Institute of Plant Breeding at Prof. Erich Tschermak-Seysenegg from 1924 to 1929.

From 1929, Ladislaus Kopetz is head of the vegetable cultivation unit at the Bundesanstalt für Pflanzenbau and seed testing in Vienna. During this time, he can demonstrate in experimental studies basic relationships between day length and plant growth. In 1937, he joined the University of Applied Sciences for Plant Building with special attention to vegetable growing and in the same year he took over the management of the newly founded Institute for Horticulture in Vienna.

In 1938, Ladislaus Kopetz will be deprived of the Venia legendi (teaching authority) for political reasons, and in 1939 he will be transferred to the experimental and research institute for horticulture in Eisgrub (Lundenburg District, South Moravia; from 1938 to 1945 to the “Reichsgau Niederdonau” [Niederösterreich]), where he remains until the end of World War II. In this time, he publishes hand-applications for self-sufficiency for the then war-related nutritional situation.

In 1945, Ladislaus Kopetz regained his Venia legendi and was appointed Head of the Institute of Agricultural Plants and Plant Breeding at the University of Applied Sciences in 1946 as an extraordinary university professor of this subject. The appointment of the ordinary professor takes place in 1950. During this time, he deals with issues of fertilization in cereals, potato cultivation and field irrigation and publishes numerous books and studies.

Ladislaus Kopetz is a pioneer of economic and modern soil management and is unexpectedly lost in active service.