Grading knowledge1999

If you are sitting in a basement room without a view — not to mention the bars in front of the windows — and writing a book, then you better have good company. I had the best company you could imagine. Waltraud Hiltl, Katja Markert, Martin Romacker, Klemens Schnattinger, Andreas Klee and I shared very little o?ce space, but plenty of chocolate, co?ee, champagne, and enthusiasm for our research. North German coolness and creativity sprang mostly from my colleagues in the second ?oor. I learned a lot from and laughed a lot with Nobi Br¨oker, Susanne (Sue) Schacht, Manfred Klenner, Peter Neuhaus, Stefan Schulz, and Michael Strube. I thank my friend and partner Angela R¨osch for motivational and te- nical support and for living together with someone who cares about strange things, works too...