Gerold Olbrich, who had spent decades shaping the geoscience catalogue of the Wichmann Verlag, died at the age of 66.
The publisher confirmed the loss only days after Olbrich’s scheduled retirement, noting that he had been preparing to step down in the coming months.
Olbrich’s career was marked by his specialization in earth‑science titles, contributing to the reputation of Wichmann Verlag as a leading source for academic and professional geoscience literature.
The VDE Verlag, which handles Wichmann’s distribution, issued the brief statement announcing his death and expressing condolences to his family and colleagues.
His passing is regarded as a significant loss for the niche publishing sector that serves researchers, educators and industry professionals in the geosciences.