It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of René Dirven’s passing.

Dirven (1932-2016), who was emeritus professor of English linguistics at the Uni-
versity of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, was one of the most influential figures in Cognitive Linguistics in Europe. His role in the popularization of the Cognitive-Linguistic Approach can hardly be overestimated and he will be missed dearly.

An obituary can be found on Linguist List.