From SL_2(K) to generalized hexagons Anja Steinbach When I first first met Hans, we were both working on SL_2(K). Our first joint paper was on generalized hexagons. My present work is a variation on the same theme: Let K be a cyclic division algebra of degree 3 (a generalization of Hamilton's quaternions). We see SL_2(K) as a fixed point group in SL_6(K) under an automorphism of order 3. This automorphism will be extended to the Chevalley group E_6(K). The fixed point group gives a Moufang hexagon of type E_6.