Franz Dotter passed away

The Research Centre for Multilingualism has learnt with shock that Professor Franz Dotter (1948-2018), who is the expert of sign language studies at the Alpen-Adria University in Klagenfurt, passed untimely away last Friday due to a tragic accident. Professor Dotter had an extraordinary role in the development of the sign language research in Europe and in the fight for the linguistic rights of Deaf children. He contributed to the government level approval of the Austrian Sign Language Act and the use of Austrian Sign Language in Deaf education in Austria. Our Research Centre had a long professional relationship with Professor Dotter and the research group led by him. We had known him as a humble, frank, ever smiling person who had a professionally highlighting role at all times. In the world of sign languages, language sciences, Deaf communities he left behind a vacuum which will be hard to fill. The Research Centre and the Hungarian Deaf Community share the loss and grief of the family and the Austrian Deaf Community.