Prof. Odile Limpach with Prof. Em. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermuth, then NRW Minister of Economic Affairs Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart, and others at the opening of the business incubator “Cologne Game Farm” at the Cologne Game Lab (TH Köln), May 2, 2018 (Front row: Gundolf S. Freyermuth: second from left; Odile Limpach: third from left; Andreas Pinkwart: fourth from left). Note: Originally launched as Cologne Game Farm, the incubator has since evolved into the Game Starter Foundry. Credits: Costa Belibasakis / TH Köln.
This post is by Prof. Odile Limpach, who first met Prof. Em. Dr. Gundolf S. Freyermut as an industry partner during the founding days of the Cologne Game Lab. Encouraged by Gundolf S. Freyermut to pursue teaching after an early guest lecture, she credits him as a dedicated guide and an invaluable sparring partner throughout her academic career. Today, she teaches Economics and Entrepreneurship at CGL, where she also manages the CGL Incubator. Additionally, she is the co-founder of the accelerator SpielFabrique and works as a strategic consultant for serious games and cross-media projects. Furthermore she acts as an advisor (CCEF) for the French Ministry for International Business Development and has been honored as Chevalier de l’ordre national du mérite.
Check out her contribution below:
An Unfailing Sparring Partner
I met Gundolf during the years he and Björn were fighting to bring the Cologne Game Lab into existence. I was struck by their sheer determination to make it happen against all odds — two people convinced that games deserved a serious academic home, at a time when that was far from obvious to everyone else. I was genuinely glad to be invited in as an industry partner in those early days, to sit at the table while the institute was still taking shape, and to have a hand in shaping what it would become.
From the very beginning, Gundolf was demanding. He questioned everything, pushed back on easy answers, and never let a good idea pass without testing it from every possible angle first. That could be exhausting, but it was also exactly what made working with him so valuable — nothing got past him unchallenged, and you learned to bring your best thinking to every conversation. And somehow, every one of those exchanges turned into an excuse to have dinner together, where the real conversations continued long after the meeting had officially ended.
It was after a single guest lecture I gave on marketing that Gundolf and Björn planted a seed I hadn’t expected: they were the ones who first pushed me onto the path of teaching, seeing something in that one talk that I hadn’t quite seen in myself. It was their confidence that triggered my own desire to try it and see where it would lead. Along that journey — learning pedagogy, understanding what professorship actually demands, finding my footing in a world that was entirely new to me — Gundolf always had an open heart. He was endlessly motivating, patient with my questions, and simply the perfect guide through academia. When I later wrote my first book, he was just as supportive, encouraging me through every moment of doubt and pushing me to finish what I had started.
I enjoyed every single discussion we had over the years, whether about curricula, research, or the future of the field. I admired his relentless pursuit of excellence, his extraordinary knowledge, and the sheer inventiveness of his research in media studies — always a step ahead of where the conversation was. He was a formidable negotiator, a tireless director of the CGL who never seemed to run out of energy for the institute he had built, and a wonderful sparring partner for absolutely any subject I brought to him, academic or otherwise.
And last but not least: his love of red wine and his appreciation for a good glass of champagne were always, conveniently, a reason to gather and keep talking a little longer.
Odile Limpach