Bernburg. Ulrich Wittneven will once again be taking part in the upcoming fishing exam in the Salzlandkreis district in March. It's a matter of honour, or rather, voluntary work! "The annual dates are firmly fixed in my calendar. And when I'm asked, I'm there," says the Schönebeck native, who belongs to the newly appointed – as well as the old – circle of assessors on the examination board. He has been working in an honorary capacity for around 50 years, which also commands the utmost respect from District Administrator Markus Bauer. "Your high level of commitment and expertise in serving common goals deserve recognition. Such honorary work always involves a great deal of time and continuous further training," emphasised District Administrator Markus Bauer. To honour this extraordinary commitment and to express his personal thanks, Ulrich Wittneven was welcomed to the district administrator's office.
"Water is our elixir of life. My purpose in life. I've been interested in water since I was a little boy in Lübeck, where I lived on the River Trave, learnt to swim and also fished." He was nine or ten then. Today, Ulrich Wittneven will soon be 85 years old and doesn't have to think long in conversation about how his life has been characterised by the great theme of water all these years, by his interest in nature and the environment, his involvement with fishing and club work among anglers, promoting young talent and his home region.
Schönebeck and the Salzland district became his home when he moved from the Trave in Schleswig-Holstein to Saxony-Anhalt in the 1990s and finally moved to the family home in Schönebeck an der Elbe in the early 2000s with all the trimmings. He naturally brought his passion, his experience and his constantly refreshed knowledge of fishing as a water warden, instructor and examiner with him. Ulrich Wittneven simply put them at the service of his new home. At the Unseburg fishing club, which he joined, he campaigned for his own fishing training programme in order to get more children and young people interested in this hobby close to nature. His persistence, coupled with his openness and commitment, brought the desired result. The courses soon offered by Unseburger were successful. "Only two candidates have ever failed in the past few years," says Wittneven, referring to the proud record of his fishing club, which has 100 adults and 30 children and young people. They use and look after a number of ponds, lakes and the River Bode as fishing routes.
Ulrich Wittneven says that the examinations show time and time again that a well-founded angler training programme is crowned with success above all when the interested candidates and then candidates are accompanied individually and personally, from the very beginning, with all requirements and through all topics. He still enjoys his work in the association and his role as an honorary examiner to this day. There is no end in sight.