Jean Pütz will mark his 90th birthday on Monday, 21 September. Reflecting on his early years, he recalls growing up in Luxembourg at a time when Charly Gaul won the Tour de France in 1958, a memory that still brings a smile to his face. At the time, Pütz was 22 years old and living with his parents in Remich.
Pütz attended school in Luxembourg, starting in Remich before moving to Luxembourg City for studies at the École des arts et métiers, the national technical school. After qualifying as an electrician, he worked for a year at ARBED in Esch. He vividly remembers the hardships of his childhood, having lived through the Second World War.
At the time, Luxembourg only offered a technical college, so Pütz enrolled at the Nikolaus-August-Otto-Ingenieurschule in Cologne to pursue his ambition of becoming an engineer. He obtained his diploma in 1959, after being accepted as one of only 16 successful candidates out of 240 applicants. He said that this was one of the greatest achievements in his life. After graduating, he worked as an engineer for a year, joking that his wife always says he has a helper syndrome. He stresses that for him, it's vitally important that human rights are respected.
Pütz rose to fame through his television programme Hobbythek, produced by German broadcaster WDR and aired on ARD from 1974 to 2004. Over the course of thirty years, 345 episodes were made. However, he noted that Hobbythek was not his primary role at WDR, which had originally recruited him to establish the editorial desk for science and technology. He aimed to create a show that would demonstrate to viewers the practical relevance of science in daily life. For example, in the episode Intelligence in Miniature, he explained how many transistors could be placed on a chip, a concept now known as artificial intelligence.
After retirement, Pütz continued to work for WDR for another three years, followed by two years at ZDF. Despite living in Germany, he maintains close ties to Luxembourg, returning regularly to visit his parents' graves in Remich. He remembers his upbringing fondly: the family shop selling wallpaper, paint, and linoleum, and his father’s pride at becoming head of the bottle-washing machine at the local winery.
Speaking to RTL, Pütz expressed pride in his achievements and numerous awards. "My mind still works, and as long as it does, I will keep going. I just hope I stay healthy," he said.
Jean Pütz will officially celebrate his milestone birthday on Saturday, 26 September, surrounded by family and friends in Cologne.
