A passionate Hofer turns 95

A Hofer with heart and soul celebrated his 95th birthday on May 1: Ernst Harandt. He came to the city on the Saale from Upper Silesia as a teenager in 1945 and put down deep roots here.

Social justice and active trade union work run through his entire life: Harandt worked for the AOK until his retirement, where he earned a reputation as an accomplished expert. He contributed his expertise to numerous committees and as an honorary judge at social courts.

At a young age, he founded a trade union youth group and subsequently held numerous positions at Verdi; he was Chairman of the Upper Franconia East District Seniors' Conference until 2010. In 2017, Verdi honored him for 70 years of membership. As an old trade unionist, Harandt is of course particularly happy about his birthday on Labor Day, "after all, the whole world is celebrating with us!".

Harandt's lifelong commitment to the Hofer association landscape is particularly vivid in the minds of older Hofer residents. The following is just one example: He was a founding member of the Botanical Garden Society and for three decades chaired the Society for the Promotion of the Hof Zoo, the Society for Aquarium, Terrarium and Folkloristic Natural History. Under his aegis, the structural development of the zoo in particular was significantly advanced. In 1994, the Federal President awarded him the Medal of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his achievements. The city of Hof honored his achievements in 2000 with the Medal of Honor.

On his special day, Ernst Harandt was visited by Mayor Eva Döhla, who warmly congratulated him on behalf of the city of Hof and wished him continued good health. On this occasion, he revealed the secret of his vigor in old age: "My mother was very young when she gave birth to me. That young blood still flows in me!" So it's no wonder that Harandt spent the day in the best of company with family and friends.