text: Manfred Schidlowski (13 November 1933 – 3 October 2012) was a German Professor of Geochemistry at the Max-Planck-Institut for Chemistry (Otto-Hahn-Institut) in Mainz. His research was concerned with the biochemistry of the Early Earth with a focus on isotope-biogeochemistry and the evidence of the earliest life processes in Precambrian. Schidlowski is considered the founder of this research direction in Germany and he also shaped international research in isotope biogeochemistry of Precambrian sediments for more than two decades.