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Contemporary conservationist (12)
Biological Conservation 29 (1984) I 5
Contemporary Conservationist (I 2)
HUBERT WEINZIERL Hubert Weinzierl, although not yet 50 years old, has already left his mark on what are probably the two most important decades of nature conservation in Germany during the post-war period. His style of leadership in the private nature protection movement has been copied time and time again by nature conservationists and brought him the respect of those outside the movement. He and his friends Bernhard Grzimek and Horst Stern have, each in his own way, set an example of how one should combine emotion, rationale and politics in the furtherance of nature conservation. His family background and professional occupation as a businessman give him personal and economic independence, while his deep respect for all living things has endowed him with a great inner strength with which to commit himself unreservedly to nature conservation. Hubert Weinzierl was born in Ingolstadt in 1935, and by the age of 17 was already active in nature conservation. He studied forestry at the University of Munich, and after a practical training period in the state forestry service took up farming and forestry. Although not yet 30 years old, in 1964 he was elected to the council of the Deutscher Naturschutzring (German Federation for Nature Conservation), the umbrella organisation of nearly 100 nature conservation societies with almost four million members. Since 1969, as President of the regional Bund Naturschutz (League for Nature Conservation) in Bavaria, he has been able to show how a private Biol. Conserv. (29) (1984) Printed in Great Britain
1 ~' Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1984.
2
Hubert Weinzierl
Hubert Weinzierl
nature conservation organisation can be managed on modern business lines and acquire political validity. Under Hubert Weinzierl's leadership the regional association, previously orientated towards an old-fashioned type of nature protection, has become the model for many German nature conservation societies. Even the Bund Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (German League for the Environment and Nature Conservation), founded in 1975 with Hubert Weinzierl's help, followed this example. The League soon attracted many young people not otherwise involved in nature conservation societies. The membership increased rapidly, regional groups were formed in nearly all the Federal L/inder, and the League very soon became an important factor in the conservation politics of the Federal Republic. Hubert Weinzierl has also set an example for practical conservation work. In 1956, when still the very young son of a sand and gravel industrialist, he published his first article in an industry journal on the development of gravel pits for landscape protection. He went on to create a model biotope on a worked-out pit belonging to his own company, and
Contemporary conservationist (12)
3
within ten years had completed a book on the important subject of landscape restoration. He demonstrated not only an example of habitat management, but made this and other of his properties into experimental areas for the reintroduction of the beaver and otter. Later with his help and that of the Nature Conservation League in Bavaria which helped, other small but stable beaver populations were established. His initiative concerning the reintroduction of the lynx on the German--Czech border was appreciated only by nature conservationists and the animal-loving public--it aroused the opposition of the hunting community and local authorities, who opposed even more strongly his proposals to reintroduce the bear to the Alps. Hubert Weinzierl's name is closely linked with the foundation of the first German National Park in the Bayerischer Wald. He worked tirelessly in the mid-1960s in the fields of publicity and politics to make his influence felt wherever he could in order to make this first Park a reality-which would serve as a pilot scheme for other German national parks. A few years previously when nature parks were being established, Hubert Weinzierl rightly feared that they would be developed mainly for tourists and recreation and not much would be left for true nature conservation. He therefore also championed the establishment of national parks as the 'nature conservation ideal'. This idea, however, was bitterly opposed, not only by the forestry and hunting communities, but also by some nature conservationists, who preferred the nature park concept. Because of this opposition a compromise over the National Park had to be reached. This was probably the first great disappointment in his previously wholly successful political and practical activities as a conservationist. A further disappointment was the official attitude over European Nature Conservation Year (1970) which he hoped would be a 'great turning point' for Germany--a phrase which he used for the title of his book Die Grosse Wende im Naturschutz (The great turning point in nature conservation). His expectations for a political and social 'shake-up' were not fulfilled and he was impelled to follow this book with a second, which he called "Das Grosse Sterben" (The great demise). In ECY, as representative of the Deutscher Naturschutzring, he organised a Press Service throughout the country, and in addition helped to build up a publishing service, for which he contributed much material himself. He is today the author of over 800 articles. His ideas for setting up a Nature Conservation Academy for the
4
Hubert Weinzierl
training and further education of the many honorary a n d self-taught nature conservationists were quickly put into effect in the Bavarian League for Nature Conservation. In addition, he founded a private Nature Conservation Academy, whose activities unfortunately had, for financial reasons, to remain limited. However, the Bavarian State later copied his initiative, and established a state Nature Conservation Academy supported by considerable finance and personnel: one of many examples of how Hubert Weinzierl has inspired private nature conservation societies, and also state nature conservation, to greater achievement. Nevertheless, in official circles he is sometimes unpopular, because he is a constant critic of policy and management--but other officials are grateful to him and the private associations for maintaining pressure for more rapid progress in nature conservation. As a businessman, Hubert Weinzierl has recognised more clearly than many others engaged in nature conservation that the destruction of nature and the landscape will not in the long-term be contained simply by the establishment of protected areas, the management of biotopes, the reintroduction of extinct species, or even the intensification of publicity. He therefore always ensures that ecological discussions are based on economic principles, and strives to influence economic decisions by the application of ecological arguments. Together with biologist and Nobel prize winner Konrad Lorenz, he was the initiator of the Gruppe Okologie, an informal association of scientists, politicians and writers on nature conservation and related topics, who think on the same lines and want to bring about political change. In spite of his success and the many honours and distinctions linked with it, Hubert Weinzierl has remained a reserved person, revealing his inner feelings only through his lyrical poems and philosophical observations on nature conservation themes. He distributes these publications only to friends--a side of this well-known 'nature conservation entrepreneur' that is known only to a few.
Wolfgang Erz
BOOKS WRITTEN BY HUBERT WEINZIERL Weinzierl, H. (1965). Kiesgrube und Landschaft. Erfahrungen und ErJblge (Gravel-pits and landscape. Experiences and success). Ingolstadt (2nd ed.: 1968).
Contemporary conservationist (12)
5
Weinzierl, H. (1968). Reviergestaltung. Erhaltung, Pflege und Gestaitung des Lebensraumes derfreilebenden Tierwelt (Habitat management for hunters-Preservation, management and development of wildlife habitats). Munich, Bale, Viesubam. Weinzierl, H. (1969). Deutschlands Nationalpark (The Nationalpark of Germany). Grafenau. Weinzierl, H. (1970). Die grofle Wende im Naturschutz (The turning-point of nature conservation). Munich. Weinzierl, H. (1971). Das grofle Sterben. Umweltnotstand-- Wege in eine heile Welt (The great demise. Environmental emergency--ways to an intact world). Munich. Weinzierl, H. (1973). Projekt Biber. Wiedereinbiirgerung yon Tieren (Project beaver. Reintroduction of animals). Stuttgart. Weinzierl, H., Bibelriether, H. & Sperber, G. (1970). Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest National Park). Grafenau (2nd edn, 1972).
Contemporary Conservationist (I 2)
HUBERT WEINZIERL Hubert Weinzierl, although not yet 50 years old, has already left his mark on what are probably the two most important decades of nature conservation in Germany during the post-war period. His style of leadership in the private nature protection movement has been copied time and time again by nature conservationists and brought him the respect of those outside the movement. He and his friends Bernhard Grzimek and Horst Stern have, each in his own way, set an example of how one should combine emotion, rationale and politics in the furtherance of nature conservation. His family background and professional occupation as a businessman give him personal and economic independence, while his deep respect for all living things has endowed him with a great inner strength with which to commit himself unreservedly to nature conservation. Hubert Weinzierl was born in Ingolstadt in 1935, and by the age of 17 was already active in nature conservation. He studied forestry at the University of Munich, and after a practical training period in the state forestry service took up farming and forestry. Although not yet 30 years old, in 1964 he was elected to the council of the Deutscher Naturschutzring (German Federation for Nature Conservation), the umbrella organisation of nearly 100 nature conservation societies with almost four million members. Since 1969, as President of the regional Bund Naturschutz (League for Nature Conservation) in Bavaria, he has been able to show how a private Biol. Conserv. (29) (1984) Printed in Great Britain
1 ~' Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1984.
2
Hubert Weinzierl
Hubert Weinzierl
nature conservation organisation can be managed on modern business lines and acquire political validity. Under Hubert Weinzierl's leadership the regional association, previously orientated towards an old-fashioned type of nature protection, has become the model for many German nature conservation societies. Even the Bund Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (German League for the Environment and Nature Conservation), founded in 1975 with Hubert Weinzierl's help, followed this example. The League soon attracted many young people not otherwise involved in nature conservation societies. The membership increased rapidly, regional groups were formed in nearly all the Federal L/inder, and the League very soon became an important factor in the conservation politics of the Federal Republic. Hubert Weinzierl has also set an example for practical conservation work. In 1956, when still the very young son of a sand and gravel industrialist, he published his first article in an industry journal on the development of gravel pits for landscape protection. He went on to create a model biotope on a worked-out pit belonging to his own company, and
Contemporary conservationist (12)
3
within ten years had completed a book on the important subject of landscape restoration. He demonstrated not only an example of habitat management, but made this and other of his properties into experimental areas for the reintroduction of the beaver and otter. Later with his help and that of the Nature Conservation League in Bavaria which helped, other small but stable beaver populations were established. His initiative concerning the reintroduction of the lynx on the German--Czech border was appreciated only by nature conservationists and the animal-loving public--it aroused the opposition of the hunting community and local authorities, who opposed even more strongly his proposals to reintroduce the bear to the Alps. Hubert Weinzierl's name is closely linked with the foundation of the first German National Park in the Bayerischer Wald. He worked tirelessly in the mid-1960s in the fields of publicity and politics to make his influence felt wherever he could in order to make this first Park a reality-which would serve as a pilot scheme for other German national parks. A few years previously when nature parks were being established, Hubert Weinzierl rightly feared that they would be developed mainly for tourists and recreation and not much would be left for true nature conservation. He therefore also championed the establishment of national parks as the 'nature conservation ideal'. This idea, however, was bitterly opposed, not only by the forestry and hunting communities, but also by some nature conservationists, who preferred the nature park concept. Because of this opposition a compromise over the National Park had to be reached. This was probably the first great disappointment in his previously wholly successful political and practical activities as a conservationist. A further disappointment was the official attitude over European Nature Conservation Year (1970) which he hoped would be a 'great turning point' for Germany--a phrase which he used for the title of his book Die Grosse Wende im Naturschutz (The great turning point in nature conservation). His expectations for a political and social 'shake-up' were not fulfilled and he was impelled to follow this book with a second, which he called "Das Grosse Sterben" (The great demise). In ECY, as representative of the Deutscher Naturschutzring, he organised a Press Service throughout the country, and in addition helped to build up a publishing service, for which he contributed much material himself. He is today the author of over 800 articles. His ideas for setting up a Nature Conservation Academy for the
4
Hubert Weinzierl
training and further education of the many honorary a n d self-taught nature conservationists were quickly put into effect in the Bavarian League for Nature Conservation. In addition, he founded a private Nature Conservation Academy, whose activities unfortunately had, for financial reasons, to remain limited. However, the Bavarian State later copied his initiative, and established a state Nature Conservation Academy supported by considerable finance and personnel: one of many examples of how Hubert Weinzierl has inspired private nature conservation societies, and also state nature conservation, to greater achievement. Nevertheless, in official circles he is sometimes unpopular, because he is a constant critic of policy and management--but other officials are grateful to him and the private associations for maintaining pressure for more rapid progress in nature conservation. As a businessman, Hubert Weinzierl has recognised more clearly than many others engaged in nature conservation that the destruction of nature and the landscape will not in the long-term be contained simply by the establishment of protected areas, the management of biotopes, the reintroduction of extinct species, or even the intensification of publicity. He therefore always ensures that ecological discussions are based on economic principles, and strives to influence economic decisions by the application of ecological arguments. Together with biologist and Nobel prize winner Konrad Lorenz, he was the initiator of the Gruppe Okologie, an informal association of scientists, politicians and writers on nature conservation and related topics, who think on the same lines and want to bring about political change. In spite of his success and the many honours and distinctions linked with it, Hubert Weinzierl has remained a reserved person, revealing his inner feelings only through his lyrical poems and philosophical observations on nature conservation themes. He distributes these publications only to friends--a side of this well-known 'nature conservation entrepreneur' that is known only to a few.
Wolfgang Erz
BOOKS WRITTEN BY HUBERT WEINZIERL Weinzierl, H. (1965). Kiesgrube und Landschaft. Erfahrungen und ErJblge (Gravel-pits and landscape. Experiences and success). Ingolstadt (2nd ed.: 1968).
Contemporary conservationist (12)
5
Weinzierl, H. (1968). Reviergestaltung. Erhaltung, Pflege und Gestaitung des Lebensraumes derfreilebenden Tierwelt (Habitat management for hunters-Preservation, management and development of wildlife habitats). Munich, Bale, Viesubam. Weinzierl, H. (1969). Deutschlands Nationalpark (The Nationalpark of Germany). Grafenau. Weinzierl, H. (1970). Die grofle Wende im Naturschutz (The turning-point of nature conservation). Munich. Weinzierl, H. (1971). Das grofle Sterben. Umweltnotstand-- Wege in eine heile Welt (The great demise. Environmental emergency--ways to an intact world). Munich. Weinzierl, H. (1973). Projekt Biber. Wiedereinbiirgerung yon Tieren (Project beaver. Reintroduction of animals). Stuttgart. Weinzierl, H., Bibelriether, H. & Sperber, G. (1970). Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest National Park). Grafenau (2nd edn, 1972).