Franz Wolkinger

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Franz Wolkinger (born February 25, 1936 in Sankt Peter am Ottersbach ; † September 13, 2017 in Graz ) was an Austrian biologist and conservationist .

life and career

Franz Wolkinger was born on February 25, 1936 in the village of Sankt Peter am Ottersbach in Southeast Styria . After completing his school education, he began studying natural history and biology or botany and zoology at the University of Graz . In order to finance his studies, he also worked as an educator at the Odilien-Blindeninstitut in Graz-St. Leonhard . In 1959 he was admitted to the KÖStV Traungau Graz , a colored, non-striking and Catholic student association. After working as an assistant at the University of Graz and the University of Freiburg / Breisgau , Wolkinger completed his habilitation with a thesis on the anatomy, physiology and ecology of plants. He completed his studies in 1963 with a doctorate ; three years later he was accepted by his student union in the old gentlemen's association . From 1971 to 1985 he appeared in the association as a Philistine senior. After further activity in Graz, he took over the Nature Conservation Institute in 1972, which moved from the federal capital Vienna to Graz and became the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation . Wolkinger, who has been living in Graz's Annenviertel since 1968 , campaigned for environmental protection throughout his life, including, of course, in his city of Graz. On the side, Wolkinger was also active in a teaching position at the University of Graz from 1974 to 1998, where he was the director of the Institute for Plant Physiology. After his retirement in 1999, he continued to work as a visiting professor .

In the course of his life he has received numerous awards and honors, including the Golden Decoration of Honor of the Province of Styria , the Golden Decoration of Honor of the Province of Burgenland or the so-called Environment Oswald , which has been given every year since 2006 to people who stand out for their outstanding work for nature - and environmental protection deserved is awarded. He was also the holder of the gold medal for 50 years of membership in the Mountain and Nature Guard and, from 2008, honorary chairman of the Graz PES section. The Steiermärkische Berg- und Naturwacht belonged to the times when it was still run as an association and not yet as a corporation under public law (from 1977). He was a member of the PES section for a number of years in the 1970s, then was deputy chairman from 1978 to 1981 and first chairman from 1982 to 2008, before he was replaced by Hartmut Heidinger.

During his many years of activity, various important renovations and new buildings of shelters fall . The Rotgüldenseehütte in the east of the Hohe Tauern was rebuilt between 1992 and 1994 . In 2006 the Sticklerhütte in Murwinkel was rebuilt and the Stubenberghaus on Graz's local mountain, the Schöckl , reopened after the necessary general renovation . Furthermore, Wolkinger was responsible for the project for the water supply and wastewater disposal for the entire Schöckl plateau and was involved in the creation of a small hydropower plant for the Arthur von Schmid House in the Hohe Tauern, as well as the construction of biological sewage treatment plants on all shelters in the Graz section . During his tenure, the office of the Graz Section in Sackstrasse was relocated to new premises. Since the beginning of his activity as chairman of the Graz PES section , when it had around 9,000 members, it grew to over 13,500 members by his death.

In addition, Wolkinger was President of the Clusius Research Society in Güssing since 1982 and a member of numerous national and international bodies, including the Council of Europe . As a member of the State Nature Conservation Council, the university professor, who also worked closely with Urania , also got involved behind the scenes. He also contributed to the creation of various Austrian national parks, such as the Neusiedler See - Seewinkel National Park or to the creation of large protected areas and natural monuments in Austria. In his city of Graz in particular, he campaigned for the tree population and was considered a Graz tree expert, where he also appeared as the initiator of extensive planting campaigns. He also published various books related to Austria, especially in the field of nature conservation.

On September 13, 2017 Wolkinger died after a short serious illness with his family in Graz , leaving behind his wife Helma, as well as a son (journalist Thomas Wolkinger (* 1968), married to the politician Judith Schwentner ) and a daughter. On September 22, 2017, he was buried at the St. Peter Stadtfriedhof .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Franz Wolkinger in the obituaries of the Kleine Zeitung, accessed on January 28, 2018
  2. ↑ Award of the Umwelt-Oswald - Steiermärkische Berg- und Naturwacht (Word document), accessed on January 28, 2018
  3. ↑ Official website of the Rotgüldenseehütte , accessed on January 28, 2018
personal data
SURNAME Wolkinger, Franz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian botanist and conservationist
DATE OF BIRTH February 25, 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH Sankt Peter am Ottersbach , Austria
DATE OF DEATH 13th September 2017
Place of death Graz , Austria