Thuringia mourns the loss of Volker Sklenar: a life for agriculture and the environment

Volker Sklenar, the former agricultural and environmental minister of Thuringia, is dead. He died on Tuesday morning at the age of 80, as the Thuringian State Chancellery confirmed. No further details about his death were published. Sklenar was a formative personality in Thuringian politics and is known for his commitment in agriculture and the environment.

The political reactions to his death are consistently positive. Prime Minister Mario Voigt (CDU) described Sklenar as an esteemed politician who left essential traces in the development of Thuringia. Voigt particularly emphasized Sklenar's social commitment and his community. The incumbent Environment Minister Tilo Kummer (BSW) also praised Sklenar's merits after reunification, in particular his contribution to securing agricultural businesses in Thuringia

Sklenar's political career

Volker Sklenar was born on November 6, 1944 in Mittweida, Saxony. From 1990 to 2009 he worked as an agricultural minister in the Free State of Thuringia, whereby his department also included environmental and nature conservation from 1994. Minister of Economics and Agriculture Colette Boos-John (CDU) praised Sklenar as the first Minister of Agriculture to set the basic course for the Thuringian agriculture and forestry. The success of Thuringia as an agricultural location is inextricably linked to his name.

During his term in office, Sklenar contributed significantly to a successful transition to a market economy production and the connection between agriculture and environmental protection. CDU parliamentary group leader Andreas Bühl emphasized the clear language and humanity of Sklenar. The state parliament and the CDU also honored its life and its achievements, while Voigt sent his sympathy for relatives and friends.