Christoph Schneider (geographer)

Christoph Schneider (born 27 February 1965 in Blaustein-Herrlingen) is a German geographer specialising in climate geography. He has been a professor since 2015 and was vice-president for Research at Humboldt University of Berlin from 2021 to September 2025. In June 2025, he was elected Rector of the University of Hohenheim. He took up his new post on 1 October 2025. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Life and work

After graduating from high school in Ulm and completing his civilian service in the Allgäu region, Christoph Schneider studied geography and physics at the University of Freiburg (1986–1993) and was a research assistant at the Institute of Physical Geography (IPG) from 1994 to 1998. After completing his doctorate in geography at the Faculty of Geosciences at the University of Freiburg in 1998, he was a research assistant at the Institute of Physical Geography (IPG) at the University of Freiburg from 1999 to 2004. He obtained his habilitation in geography at the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences in Freiburg in 2004 and then worked as a professor of physical geography and climatology at the Institute of Geography at RWTH Aachen University until 2015. Since 2015, he has been Professor of Climate Geography at the Institute of Geography at Humboldt University in Berlin. From August 2021 to July 2026, he was on leave to serve as vice-president for Research at Humboldt University.

Schneider has been working in climate research since 1994. One of his main areas of focus is how climate and global warming are affecting smaller mountain glaciers. ^[6] He has conducted research projects in the polar regions and high mountains, including Svalbard (Spitsbergen), Patagonia, Tibet, Tian Shan and the low mountain ranges in Germany.

On 27 June 2025, Christoph Schneider was elected as the successor to Stephan Dabbert as the new Rector of the University of Hohenheim for a term of eight years. He took up his new position as Rector of the University of Hohenheim on 1 October 2025. ^[7]

Schneider is married, has two adult daughters and three grandchildren.

Further commitments

Schneider ist founding member of Scientists for Future . ^[8]

Selected publications

• Zur raumzeitlichen Differenzierung der Energiebilanz und des Zustandes der Schneedecke auf zwei Gletschern der Marguerite Bay, Antarktische Halbinsel. Aspekte des Klimas und des Klimawandels am Rande der Antarktis. Freiburg 1998, OCLC   215419926.
• mit Johannes Schönbein: Klimatologische Analyse der Schneesicherheit und Beschneibarkeit von Wintersportgebieten in deutschen Mittelgebirgen. Köln 2006, OCLC   165892238
• Schneider, C. (Hrsg./ed., 2025): Blickwinkel KOSMOS - Perspektiven auf Alexander von Humboldts Werk und das Anthropozän /Viewpoint KOSMOS - Perspectives on Alexander von Humboldt's Oeuvre and the Anthropocene. Berlin Universities Publishing, Berlin, DOI: 10.14279/de­po­si­ton­ce-22070
• Arndt, A. and C. Schneider (2023): Spatial pattern of glacier mass balance sensitivity to atmospheric forcing in High Mountain Asia. Journal of Glaciology, DOI: 10.1017/jog.2023.46
• Sauter, T., A. Arndt and C. Schneider (2020): COSIPY v1.3 – an open-source coupled snowpack and ice surface energy and mass balance model. Geoscienific Model Development, 13, 5645–5662, DOI: 10.5194/gmd-13-5645-2020
• Hagedorn, G., T. Loew, S. I. Seneviratne, W. Lucht, M.-L. Beck, J. Hesse, R. Knutti, V. Quaschning, J.-H. Schleimer, L. Mattauch, C. Breyer, H. Hübener, G. Kirchengast, A. Chodura, J. Clausen, F. Creutzig, M. Darbi, C.-H. Daub, F. Ekardt, M. Göpel, J. N. Hardt, J. Hertin, T. Hickler, A. Köhncke, S. Köster, J. Krohmer, H. Kromp-Kolb, R. Leinfelder, L. Mederake, M. Neuhaus, S. Rahmstorf, C. Schmidt, C. Schneider, G. Schneider, R. Seppelt, U. Spindler, M. Springmann, K. Staab, T. Stocker, K. Steininger, E. v. Hirschhausen, S. Winter, M. Wittau, J. Zens (2019): The concerns of the young protesters are justified. A statement by Scientists for Future concerning the protests for more climate protection. GAIA, 28 (2), 79 – 87
• Weidemann S., T. Sauter, P. Malz, R. Jaña, J. Arigony-Neto, G. Casassa and C. Schneider (2018): Glacier mass changes of lake-terminating Grey and Tyndall Glaciers at the Southern Patagonia Icefield derived from geodetic observations and energy and mass balance modeling. Front. Earth Sci, doi: 10.3389/feart.2018.0008.
• Schneider, C. M. Schnirch, C. Acuña, G. Casassa & R. Kilian (2007): Glacier inventory of the Gran Campo Nevado Ice Cap in the Southern Andes and glacier changes observed during recent decades. - Global and Planetary Change 59, 87–100.
• Schneider, C., R. Kilian, R. & M. Glaser (2007): Energy balance in the ablation zone during the summer season at the Gran Campo Nevado Ice Cap in the Southern Andes . - Global and Planetary Change 59, 175–188, DOI: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2006.11.033.
• Schneider, C. & D. Gies (2004): Effects of El Niño-southern oscillation on southernmost South America precipitation at 53°S revealed from NCEP-NCAR reanalysis and weather station data. - International Journal of Climatology, 24, 1057–1076, DOI: 10.1002/joc.1057.
• Schneider, C. (2003): Regionales Klima und Gletschermassenbilanz am Gran Campo Nevado, Patagonien. - Habilitationsschrift, Freiburg.Habilitationsschrift Schneider
• Schneider, C., M. Glaser, R. Kilian, A. Santana, N. Butorovic & G. Casassa (2003): Weather observations across the Southern Andes at 53°S. - Physical Geography, 24 (2), 97–119.Tandfonline
• Schneider, C. (1999): Energy balance estimates during the summer season of glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula. - Planetary and Global Change 22 (1–4), 117–130.Sciencedirect
• Schneider, C. (1998): Zur raumzeitlichen Differenzierung der Energiebilanz und des Zustandes der Schneedecke auf zwei Gletschern der Marguerite Bay, Antarktische Halbinsel - Aspekte des Klimas und des Klimawandels am Rande der Antarktis. - Freiburger Geographische Hefte, Vol. 56. (Dissertationsschrift)Link zu Zenodo
• Schneider, C. (1998): Monitoring climate variability on the Antarctic Peninsula by means of observation of the snow cover. - Annals of Glaciology 27, 623–627.Monitoring climate variability on the Antarctic Peninsula by means of observations of the snow cover

References

1. Prof. Dr. Christoph Schneider Rector of the University of Hohenheim
2. Rektorwahl: Prof. Dr. Christoph Schneider becomes Rector of the University of Hohenheim, press release from the University of Hohenheim
3. Stuttgarter Zeitung: University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim Climate researcher Christoph Schneider appointed new rector
4. Press portal: Prof. Christoph Schneider takes up his post
5. CV of Prof. Dr. Christoph Schneider on the website of Humboldt University in Berlin
6. SCIENTISTS FOR FUTURE. ‘IT MAKES ME SAD HOW STUPID WE ARE’“”. Interview by Sophia Schirmer with Christoph Schneider at Zeit Campus, 10 September 2019
7. Prof. Dr. Christoph Schneider becomes new Rector of the University of Hohenheim
8. Scientist for Future zum Vizepräsidenten der Humboldt-Universität gewählt, Scientists for Future Deutschland, 27. April 2021

External links

• Christoph Schneider Rector of the Universität Hohenheim
• Christoph Schneider on geographie.hu-berlin.de
• Christoph Schneider on Google Scholar
• Christoph Schneider on Researchgate
• Christoph Schneider on Hohenheim dictionary of agricultural biographies, page 1001
• Publications of Christoph Schneider according the Webpage of the University Hohenheim