Clemens Tesch-Römer initially studied at the Ruhr University in Bochum, where he achieved his degree in psychology in 1985, before going on to achieve his doctorate in 1989 from the Free University of Berlin. In 1997, he received his post-doctoral qualification from the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University in Greifwald. Since 1998, he has been head of the German Centre for Gerontology (DZA). This is a research institute that deals with social and behavioural gerontology and its by-laws define its aims as »to expand, collect, analyse, prepare and disseminate knowledge about the lives of aging and elderly people so that this knowledge can be used bearing in mind the social and political challenges that come from an aging population to develop scientifically independent policy advice«. Since 2003, Tesch-Römer has also been an adjunct professor at the Free University of Berlin. He has been repeatedly a member of the expert commission for the Report on Aging of the German Federal Government and is also co-editor of the »Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie« (Magazine for Gerontology and Geriatrics). His research interests include, in particular, the social situation and integration of the elderly, family and social solidarity, the health and nursing care system, cultural comparisons of research into aging as well as the quality of life and welfare in old age.
In numerous publications, for example, »Altwerden in Deutschland. Sozialer Wandel und individuelle Entwicklungen in der zweiten Lebenshilfe« (2006; tr. Aging in Germany. Social Change and Individual Developments in the Second Half of Life) and »Altern im Wandel« (2010, tr. Aging and Social Change), he looks at the results of the »German Aging Survey«, a Germany-wide representative cross-sectional and longitudinal survey of people in the second half of life, that is, forty and over. This comprehensive survey of the different situational aspects in life concerning, among other things, professional status, state of health and social contacts has now been carried for the third year and thus supplies up-to-date data that provides information that can be used for forecasts, theoretical and practical scientific concepts as well as political discussions.
What the immense challenges facing the continuously advancing demographic transformation that has an aging society at the same time as a drop in overall population mean was already researched in detail by Tesch-Römer in 2002 in his work »Gerontologie und Sozialpolitik« (tr. Gerontology and Social Policy). In 2012, he drew up »Active Ageing and Quality of Life in Old Age« which is published by the UN; it brings together in condensed form the most recent research results and statistics collected globally to present practical advice. In addition, a revised edition of »Angewandte Gerontologie« (tr. Applied Gerontology), which comprehensively presents and discusses the basic concepts and methods of gerontology in numerous key terms.
Clemens Tesch-Römer lives in Berlin.