Department of Geoscience was established as Department of Earth Sciences on 1. May 1961 when the first professorat in geology was appointed.
However, already before that time, there had been some teaching activity at the university, lessons in geology for geography students. Teacher was dr.phil. Keld Milthers from Copenhagen who worked as a travelling professor from the mid 40’s.
Through a number of years the Faculty of Science worked on getting a professorship in geology. starting already in 1952. One of the reasons being a valuable geological collection at the Naturhistorisk Museum in Aarhus. The professorship was granted in the national Finansloven for 1960-61. The vacancy was announced and five applicants appeared. The evaluation committee recommended dr.phil. Svend Asger Berthelsen for the post and he was employed as professor in geology from 1 May 1961. He was the first head of Department of Earth Sciences and worked as such until he left the department in 1966.
Since then the department has been through a comprehensive development and growth.
Today we cover both the classical geological disciplines as petrologi and palæontologi, geophysics and geomorphology, and our research covers a broad variety of topics within all the disciplines.
During the first 12 years the number of employees increased fast with 2 annually, both scientific and administrative staff. Today we are about 60-70 scientific employees and 20-30 technical- -administrative employees.
Throughout the years we have been et very … department with up to six different geographic locations in and outside campus. Now most of the department is located in the building complex 670 - the earlier Aarhus arts museum - i Høegh-Guldbergs Gade at the bottom of the Vennelyst park. After a comprehensive rebuilding the first groups moved in during the summer 2006, and – with one exception we are now finally gathered under one roof.
