The Detector System of the KATRIN Experiment - Implementation and First Measurements with the Spectrometer

This thesis describes work performed in the context of the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment which is targeted to determine the absolute neutrino-mass scale with an unrivaled sensitivity of 200 meV (90% C.L.). With respect to the challenges faced by the KATRIN spectrometer and detector section, the main objectives of this thesis are to install, to commission and to characterize the detector system as well as to examine spectrometer-related and detector-based backgrounds.