Rudolf Ahlswede (1938–2010) studied Mathematics in Göttingen, and held postdoc positions in Erlangen, Germany and Ohio, USA. From 1977 on he was full Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Bielefeld. His work represents an essential contribution to information theory and networking. He developed and contributed to a number of central areas, including network coding and the theory of identification, while also advancing the fields of combinatorics and number theory. These efforts culminated in his research program on the “Development of a General Theory of Information Transfer”. In recognition of his work, he received several awards for “Best Paper”, as well as the distinguished “Shannon Award”.