News in 2024

Honorary President Holger Magel celebrated on his 80th birthday

6 May 2024, Munich, Germany

FIG Honorary President Holger Magel was president of FIG 2003-2006. His special expertise are in the areas land consolidation, village renewal, landscape planning, rural development and civil society and he has over the years been involved in many projects both in his home province of Bavaria and in many places around the world.

He is widely known and acknowledged for his abilities to create results, and this was visible on this celebration day that was kindly held in the Bavarian Construction Industry Association in Munich. Under the overall theme "The Land has a Future - has Land a Future?" the first speaker was the Director Thomas Schmid from the Bavarian Construction Industry Association. He stressed that they were proud to host this special birthday colloquium after the many years of splendid cooperation with Holger Magel and good achievements over the years.


The Honorary Colloquium was moderated by Sinke Franke, Director of the Bavarian Academy for Rural areas and secretary of Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung



Holger Magel with his wife Anselma and Minister Michaela Kaniber. ©Pia-Regnet

Main speaker was the Bavarian Minister for Food, Agriculture, Forests and Tourism, Michaela Kaniber who talked about some of the many projects that Holger Magel has been involved in throughout the years which have changed the rural areas in Bavaria substantially. She emphasized his ability to bring different and opposing opinions together and to look for and find solutions.

Another FIG Honorary President Rudolf Staiger was asked to talk in his capacity as President of the German Association of Surveyors DVW. In his speech he referred to a conversation he overheard in Ghana in 2006 at the FIG Regional Conference between some delegates who were shocked when they realised that Holger Magel stepped down as president after his 4-year term. None of them could imagine a FIG without Holger Magel. He did and does make a difference where he appears. Rudolf Staiger brought a surprise to Holger Magel in the form of a special issue of the Journal zfv dedicated to Holger Magel and on the topic of the development of land areas.

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Holger Magel with the special edition of the Journal zfv published by DVW and presented by Rudolf Staiger. What a privilege to be surrounded by two FIG Honorary Presidents!

From Austria two FIG wellknown gentlemen, Gerhard Muggenhuber and Reinfried Mannsberger came to Münich for the celebration. Michael Klaus represented the Hanns-Seidel Foundation and it was a pleasure to meet with him, too, in a different surrounding.

A very big thanks to Holger Magel for his kind invitation to this very special and successful event. It was an honour to attend and to be part of this 80th celebration with colleagues and friends of Holger Magel.

 

 

 

Louise Friis-Hansen
13 May 2024