Grief for Jens-Holger Kirchner: Pankow said goodbye to district councilor

Grief for Jens-Holger Kirchner: Pankow said goodbye to district councilor

This week the town hall Pankow has achieved the sad news that the long-time Pankower district councilor Jens-Holger Kirchner at the age of 64 ultimately lost the hard fight against his cancer. His death triggered deep dismay and grief throughout the district office. Kirchner was known for his determined and persistent political commitment, which always aimed at making positive changes for the district and its citizens.

Jens-Holger Kirchner's political work began in the 1980s when he became politically committed in Prenzlauer Berg and became a co-founder of the network culture. He later got involved in the round table and campaigned for the interests of the citizens during the turning point. From 1990 he was active in the Prenzlauer Berg district council and later Pankow. In 2001 he moved into the BVV of the newly merged Pankow district for Bündnis 90/The Greens. In 2006 he moved to the district office and took over the public order department, where he introduced, among other things, the smiley system for evaluating hygiene in local gastronomy. In the following election period, he took over the department of urban development, transport and green spaces and became the deputy mayor of the Pankow district at the same time. At the state level, he worked as a state secretary for traffic, where he worked significantly at the mobility transition for all of Berlin and initiated the first mobility law in Germany at the state level.

In his political career, Kirchner tried particularly to protect the Pankow citizens from rising rents. For this he campaigned for the development of milieu protection areas to prevent the displacement of the residents from their neighborhoods. He also worked on measures to improve the district cycle and footpaths.

his death left a large gap in Pankow's politics and is perceived by many as a great loss. Kirchner's appreciative, human nature and sincere commitment will always be remembered.

In the following you will find a table with further information about Jens-Holger Kirchner's political career:

| Year | Activity |
| —— | —————————————— |
| 1980 | Political engagement in Prenzlauer Berg |
| 1990 | Activity in the district council meeting |
| 2001 | Introduction to the Pankow |
| 2006 | Change to the district office as a district councilor |
| 2016 | Activity as State Secretary for Transport |

The loss of Jens-Holger Kirchner will not only be felt in the district office, but also in the entire Pankow community. His commitment to the citizens and his legacy will remember him.

Source: www.berlin.de