Bernburg. Over the past few weeks, Dr Marina Bradtke has been looking back on her time with the Salzlandkreis – sifting through countless files one last time in her office in Bernburg. “It really moved me,” said Marina Bradtke. The veterinary surgeon worked for the district administration for more than 22 years, initially as head of the food safety department, then as head of the Aschersleben-Staßfurt district office, and most recently as head of the Salzlandkreis’s Veterinary Affairs and Consumer Health Protection Department. A few days ago, the 65-year-old was bid farewell as she retired by District Administrator Markus Bauer, her long-standing colleagues and the staff of her department.
District Administrator Markus Bauer honoured their work. "You have always pursued your tasks with the highest standards. You have always been an absolute leader. The Salzland district has benefited from your outstanding commitment."
The specialised service of the Salzland district, which she has headed since 2011, comes into play when, for example, animal welfare is at risk; it is always publicly visible when it comes to food-borne diseases or animal epidemics such as avian influenza or bluetongue. In addition, the employees monitor food and animal feed businesses in the Salzland district as well as commercial and private livestock farmers.
Dr Marina Bradtke thanked all her colleagues for their support over the years. "Together, we have created structures within the administration that have enabled us to manage the complex technical tasks in the public interest. This achievement was an accomplishment of the entire team." She also thanked the various authorities, associations, practising veterinarians, hunters, animal welfare organisations, mushroom consultants and companies for their good cooperation with the Veterinary Affairs and Consumer Health Protection Division. She noted that the "understanding of the need for certain hygiene and biosecurity measures is much greater than it used to be". This is the basis for being able to better protect people and animals. "I am retiring in the knowledge that I am leaving behind a committed, high-performing team that will continue to master the professional challenges very well in the future."
Her service as a professional soldier in the German Armed Forces in the 1990s - including several deployments abroad - was helpful during her time as Head of Specialist Services at Salzlandkreis. Looking back, Dr Marina Bradtke says: "Clear structures, clear areas of responsibility, recognising problems early on and finding ways to solve them have always been important to me."
Growing up in Haldensleben, she set herself the goal of becoming a vet at an early age. She initially worked in the laboratory of a large poultry farm near Berlin in the GDR, then joined the German army after the fall of the Berlin Wall. A job advert from the district of Aschersleben-Staßfurt then brought her to the region. She moved to Aschersleben, where she still lives today with her partner. Her two grown-up daughters from her first marriage live in southern Germany. Marina Bradtke can now also spend more time with them and her three grandchildren. She is looking forward to this new chapter in her life. "There are lots of little things that I had little or no time for before." These include going to the theatre and concerts. As a very active cyclist and walker, she wants to discover the Salzland district with the help of the Salzländer Kulturstempel.
His successor in office at Salzlandkreis will be veterinary surgeon Dr Christian Lutter.