TU Wien honors hydrologist Günter Blöschl with its highest award, the Prechtl Medal. This recognizes his outstanding contributions to water research and the combination of fundamental research and application. The medal is awarded for extraordinary achievements in the fields of engineering, natural sciences, and architecture.
On January 21, 2026, Günter Blöschl received the Prechtl Medal during an academic ceremony in the Kuppelsaal of TU Wien. The Rectorate awards this honor to outstanding personalities; most recently, it went to physicist and Nobel Prize winner Ferenc Krausz in 2024.
Theory and application
“Günter Blöschl stands for the combination of outstanding fundamental research, international visibility, and practical application,” says Rector Jens Schneider. “His work shows the potential that lies in the close links between the natural sciences and engineering. His team's research clearly demonstrates how creative scientific work can lead to a deeper understanding of the world, to effective impact, and to concrete improvements in the lives of many people.”
Blöschl's team uses a wide range of methods – from complex computer models to field measurements with buckets and shovels – to better understand processes related to water. Blöschl has long enjoyed international renown for his publications on flood research, for example, his investigations into the links between flood disasters and climate change.
At the same time, he is dedicated to classic engineering tasks such as the analysis of dams and other flood protection measures. In recent years, he has had a significant influence on the new field of socio-hydrology, which combines natural, technical, and social aspects of the water cycle in integrated models.
Long list of awards
Blöschl has received numerous internationally renowned awards for his scientific achievements, most recently the 2025 Stockholm Water Prize, which is awarded by the King of Sweden and often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for Water.” His research has been funded by an ERC Advanced Grant, among others, and he is also a recipient of the Horton Medal from the American Geophysical Union.
The Prechtl Medal was presented to him by Rector Jens Schneider, and the laudatory speech was given by Prof. Alberto Viglione from the Technical University of Turin.