# Bastian Bechtold

> signal processing scientist in Germany

**Wikidata**: [Q114347168](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114347168)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/bastian-bechtold

## Summary
Bastian Bechtold is a German signal processing scientist and programmer known for his work in digital media technology and open-source software development. He currently serves as a researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology and is the creator of the Emacs annotation package, `emacs-annotate`.

## Biography
- **Born:** 1985, Munich, Germany
- **Nationality:** German
- **Education:** University of Oldenburg
- **Known for:** Development of the `emacs-annotate` software package and signal processing research
- **Employer(s):** Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (2021–present)
- **Field(s):** Signal processing, software engineering

## Contributions
Bastian Bechtold has contributed to the fields of signal processing and software engineering through both academic research and open-source contributions. His most prominent software project is `emacs-annotate` (also known as `annotate.el`), an annotation package for the Emacs text editor. Launched on June 10, 2015, the tool allows users to add metadata and notes to text files without altering the original source material. 

In his professional capacity as a scientist, Bechtold joined the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology in 2021. His work focuses on signal processing, a field in which he is recognized in academic databases such as DBLP and ResearchGate. He maintains the technical blog and website bastibe.de, where he shares insights into programming and signal processing. His dual role as a scientist and software engineer is reflected in his active maintenance of open-source projects on GitHub under the username "bastibe," bridging the gap between theoretical signal research and practical software tools.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Bastian Bechtold's primary area of research?
A: Bastian Bechtold is a signal processing scientist. His work involves the study and application of signal processing techniques, currently conducted at the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology.

### Q: What is emacs-annotate?
A: It is an open-source software package for the Emacs text editor created by Bastian Bechtold in 2015. It allows users to annotate files non-destructively, meaning the annotations are stored without changing the actual content of the annotated file.

### Q: Where is Bastian Bechtold based?
A: He is based in Germany. He was born in Munich, educated at the University of Oldenburg, and currently works for a German research institute.

## Why They Matter
Bastian Bechtold is a significant figure in the intersection of German scientific research and the global open-source community. His position at the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology places him within one of Europe’s premier organizations for digital media innovation. By contributing to signal processing, Bechtold supports the underlying technology used in modern audio and data communication. 

Furthermore, his creation of `emacs-annotate` addresses a specific need within the developer and writer communities for non-destructive documentation tools. His work demonstrates how specialized scientific knowledge in signal processing can complement software engineering to produce tools that enhance productivity and data management. His inclusion in international authority files like VIAF and GND underscores his established presence in the professional scientific community.

## Notable For
*   **Creator of emacs-annotate:** Developed and released the `annotate.el` package for Emacs in 2015.
*   **Fraunhofer Scientist:** Researcher at the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology since 2021.
*   **Signal Processing Expert:** Recognized for contributions to the field of signal processing with a dedicated DBLP author profile (292/0381).
*   **Open Source Contributor:** Active developer in the software engineering community under the GitHub handle "bastibe."

## Body
### Professional Career and Research
Bastian Bechtold is a scientist specializing in signal processing. Since 2021, he has been employed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT) in Germany. His work in this field is documented across several academic and professional platforms, including ResearchGate and DBLP. He is identified by the GND ID 1231411155 and VIAF ID 5508161882040334100000.

### Software Engineering and Open Source
In addition to his scientific career, Bechtold is a programmer and software engineer. He is the original author of `emacs-annotate`, a package designed to facilitate text annotation within the Emacs ecosystem. The project was first established on June 10, 2015. He continues to engage with the software development community through his GitHub profile, "bastibe," and his personal website, which serves as a repository for his technical projects and writings in English.

### Education and Personal Background
Bechtold was born in Munich, Germany, in 1985. He completed his higher education at the University of Oldenburg, an institution noted for its research in hearing technology and signal processing. He is a native German speaker and is also fluent in English. His professional identity is characterized by the integration of scientific research with practical software development.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. [Source](https://bastibe.de/about.html)