some may know it, a couple of days ago I had my 65th birthday. In older times this may have meant retirement, not anymore… Official retirement age in Germany is 67, I am still in a transition period and will retire at the end of August next year. Since CalculiX is so important for the company I work for, it was decided to transfer the development and maintenance within MTU gradually to a group of 7 collegues, some of which are already active on this site: Lukas Bruder (structures), Stefan Erhard (heat transfer), Franz-Josef Ertl (structures, optimization), Marc Haßler (structures, element types), Thomas Petzke (aerodynamic networks), Stephan Teichtmeister (structures, continuum mechanics) and Christoph Wölfle (IT). Of course, retirement from MTU does not mean retirement from CalculiX, however, it is clear that I cannot handle all by myself any more and my colleagues are very experienced with modern coding and tools. Some of them are already in charge of admitting new members to this list, and in general they may be more communication-friendly than I am. This announcement should make clear that the project CalculiX will go on, whatever my plans for the future will be. Klaus Wittig still has some more years to go, so CalculiX GraphiX is not (yet) in the focus of transition. On the downside, my wife is very ill (MSA) and needs 24-hour care by now, which obviously limits the time I can spend on CalculiX. Anyway, I want to thank all people who sent me contributions, questions or advice and I apologize for all the mails I did not respond to.
@dhondt I wish you and your family all the best and good health. I had the pleasure of contacting you via email several times and I’m glad you’re not quitting completely yet. Even though I’m sure your new team will handle CalculiX development perfectly, your vast expertise and experience is irreplaceable.
I’m not able to help with coding, but let me know if you need any other help, such as forum or GitHub repo (it’s crowded with reports that are redundant or need proper labels) maintenance.
Happy 65th birthday, and I also wish you and your family all the best in the time that comes.
Also thank you for creating Calculix and to you and the colleagues around you for keeping it alive.
Thank you Guido for all the work you did and will do in the future. It is really remarkable, what can be done by a small group of people who are determined and committed.
I wish you a happy birthday and all good regarding your wife.
Thank you, Guido. I never had the privilege of knowing you personally, but I would like to mention that I started using your code with version 0.92 and have never stopped using it since.
Where I live, it is said that you can feel complete if you do three things in life: plant a tree, have a child, and write a book. I know your book, you have planted a giant tree, and I don’t know if you have been lucky enough to have children, but I respect you and consider you a father.
For selflessly and generously sacrificing your time for others and for providing tools to learn and put into practice skills that allow us to achieve a better life.
Thank you also to all those who participate and will continue your legacy for the great work you do and for putting up with our quirks.
Good luck, and I sincerely wish you and your wife a peaceful new chapter in your lives.
many thanks for your work, happy birthday and good heath to your wife.
I hope you stay honored leader and will keep some general guidance on CCX.
I am not a doctor, but you may check some ayurvedic treatment for your wife, at least professional massage and herbs such as brahmi and ashwagandha. I tried it recently and was surprised, that it could be helpful for general condition of brain.
Thank you very much for sharing this update, and above all, thank you for everything you have built through CalculiX!
I wanted to personally express how much impact your work has had on my life and career. CalculiX played an important role in helping me complete my master’s degree, and it contributed to some of my first publications. It opened doors for me not only technically, but professionally.
I have also seen its impact on people around me. Some of my colleagues were able to pursue PhDs and truly learn finite element analysis through the open-source nature of the code. That kind of access and understanding is incredibly valuable, and it has shaped many of us in meaningful ways.
I was also very sorry to read about your wife’s illness. Please accept my sincere best wishes to both you and your wife. I truly wish you strength and peace during this difficult time.
Thank you again for your extraordinary contribution. Your work has made a real difference in many lives!
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