Heribert Hölz
Heribert Hölz (born October 9, 1942 in Duisburg ) is a German development worker who works to improve the living conditions of people in Bosnia. He has lived in Neukirchen-Vluyn since 1973 .
Use for the Bosnian aid
“When war loomed in the Balkans in 1991 and the pictures came into the apartments via television, I really wanted to help the people who were under pressure. I knew from my own experience what hardship means. In February 1992 I went to war for the first time . I've survived a number of sticky situations and experienced the horror. In the meantime, in the summer of this year, I have been to the Balkans for the 72nd time, where people still urgently need help because the state has totally failed, ”is how Hölz himself describes his motivation to support Bosnia in his 2012 memoir published by Anno Verlag to get involved. Hölz, who worked for Caritas Duisburg in 1968, saw the pictures of the Bosnian War on television in the summer of 1991. "But that wasn't a film, that was reality, that was bloody reality," said Hölz in his memory.
Since then, Hölz has been traveling regularly to the Balkans and has now collected around 2.5 million euros for people suffering from poverty. In addition, he has started several self-help projects and has taken a large part in them himself. Together with his wife Ursula, he has produced over 50,000 jars of homemade jam since the mid-1990s and sold them for Bosnia Aid. The sales proceeds will mainly be used to finance a soup kitchen in the desperately poor Zenica .
In addition, Hölz founded a smallholder cooperative in Fojnica , ensured that people in need of care in the area around Banja Luka were cared for on an outpatient basis and helped build a kindergarten and a Caritas welfare station in Sarajevo .
Awards
Heribert Hölz was voted "our best" in 2011 in Moers in a supraregional campaign by the Rheinische Post. In 2011, Hölz was also named citizen of the year in Duisburg. In 2008 Caritas in Bosnia erected a memorial to the Hölz couple as thanks for their commitment . Ursula Hölz was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for her commitment to aid to Bosnia. Heribert Hölz carries the medal of merit.
Life
Heribert Hölz grew up in Duisburg-Hochfeld and became a member of the Catholic youth movement here at an early age. In 1967 he passed the examination to become a social worker at the higher technical school for social work in Essen . On January 29, 1971, Hölz married Ursula Kloe. They have two daughters together. Hölz has been retired since October 2007, but continues to work for Caritas Duisburg's Bosnian Aid.
Fonts
- From cod liver oil to Slivovic. From war child to Bosnian helper . Anno-Verlag , Rheinberg 2012, ISBN 978-3-939256-06-9 (autobiography)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ RP Online
- ↑ Status: September 2011 [1] ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ RP Online
- ↑ RP Online
- ↑ The West
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hölz, Heribert |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German development worker |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 9, 1942 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Duisburg |