Obituary Wolfgang Reichel

Wolfgang Reichel (Figure 1), a graduate economist born on 15th March 1943, joined the former General Association of German Hard Coal GVSt (later the German Hard Coal Association, now the industry association Branchenverband Steinkohle und Nachbergbau e. V. – BSN) on 1st February 1970 as a research assistant in the public relations/information department. After further positions in the areas of business administration and statistics, economic policy, economics and energy policy, he was appointed to the management board of the GVSt with responsibility for economic policy on 1st January 1990. On 1st October 1993, he was appointed Managing Director of the association with responsibility for economic policy and European affairs. From 1st January 1996 until his retirement on 30th June 2006, he was the sole Managing Director of the association. From July 1997, Reichel was also Managing Director of the GVSt. In addition to his duties at the GVSt, he was a member of the supervisory board of Verlag Glückauf GmbH, chief executive and managing director of the Unternehmensverband Steinkohlenbergbau (UVSt), a member of the board of the Verein für die bergbaulichen Interessen (VbI) and chief executive of the Wirtschaftsvereinigung Bergbau (WVB, now the Vereinigung Roh­stoffe und Bergbau – VRB).

Until his retirement, Reichel represented the interests of the German hard coal mining industry in an outstanding manner, managing the association and its employees prudently and with a human touch. He passed away in Essen on 20th June 2025. He leaves his wife and two daughters. (Si.)