Herwig Schopper was born in Lanškroun, Czechoslovakia in 1924. He was involved at CERN as a Research Associate (1966-1967), Division Leader of the Nuclear Physics Division (1970), member of the Directorate responsible for the Co-ordination of the Experimental Programme, Chairman of the ISR Committee at CERN (1973-1976), member of the Scientific Policy Committee (1979) and finally as Director General from 1981-1988.

In 2003, Herwig Schopper was elected to the post of president of the International Centre for Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) Council.

List of Directors General of CERN