At the age of 85, the entrepreneur and Honorary Chairman of the Oldenburg University Society (UGO) Dr h. c. Peter Waskönig passed away on 23 August. The President of the University of Oldenburg, Prof Dr Dr Hans Michael Piper, explained that the university had lost a great visionary who had played a decisive role in driving forward the successful cooperation between business and science in the north-west. His death affects not only his family, friends and the university, but also the city and region, which owe him a great deal.
Waskönig combined successful entrepreneurship with outstanding social commitment. The mechanical engineer, who relocated his company to the region from Wuppertal in 1970, was President of the Oldenburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce for many years. From 1994 to 2003, he was Chair of the UGO, which became one of the largest university societies in Germany under his leadership. In 1996, he established the Dr h. c. Peter Waskönig Foundation, which supports particularly talented and socially committed students. He is also a co-founder of the UGO Förderstiftung.
To honour his extraordinary services to the university, it awarded him an honorary doctorate from the University of Oldenburg in 2003. In 2000, the entrepreneur was honoured with the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his outstanding voluntary work.
Peter Waskönig was actively involved in university life right into old age. UGO Chair Prof Dr Werner Brinker said: "We would like to thank him for his special services as a bridge builder between the university and the region and as an outstanding benefactor. The University Society will honour his memory."
