Gerhard Schmidt (association official)
Gerhard Schmidt (born July 12, 1932 in Petersholm ; † May 4, 2008 in Gravenstein ) was a Danish-German association functionary and from 1975 to 1993 chairman of the Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger, the umbrella organization of the German minority in Denmark .
Life
Gerhard Schmidt was born on the Petersholm farm and grew up in a family steeped in tradition - strongly influenced by his grandfather, Pastor Johannes Schmidt-Wodder , who was the leading figure of the German ethnic group after 1920.
From 1975 to 1993, Gerhard Schmidt was the main chairman of the Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger, the umbrella organization of the German minority in Denmark , and in this capacity also a member of the Copenhagen Contact Committee at the government and the Folketing and the committee of the Schleswig-Holstein Landtag for issues relating to the German minority in Northern Schleswig .
After the social reform in Denmark in 1976 he campaigned for the conversion of the social work of the minority and for the establishment of the secretariat of the German ethnic group in Copenhagen in 1983. The highlights of his tenure were the visits of Queen Margrethe II in 1986 and Federal President Walter Scheel 1979 and Richard von Weizsäcker 1989.
Awards
- Federal Cross of Merit 1st class
- Knight of the Danish Dannebrogden
- Schleswig-Holstein Medal
Web links
- Biography at Grænseforeningen
- Obituary for Gerhard Schmidt (PDF file; 98 kB)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Schmidt, Gerhard |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Danish-German association functionary and main chairman of the Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger, the umbrella organization of the German minority in Denmark (1975–1993) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 12, 1932 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | on Petersholm |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 4, 2008 |
| Place of death | Gravenstein |