IFJ and EFJ Salute “Towering Figure of International Union Solidarity”

European and International journalists’ leaders today praised the contribution of Gustl Glattfelder to international journalist solidarity following his death this week at the age of 65.

Glattfelder who retired last year from his positions as the founding Chairman of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Senior Vice President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) was a leading member of the Deutsche Journalist Verband (DJV) in Germany.

He died on 24 May from a heart attack following treatment for cancer. His funeral will take place in his home town of Baden Baden, Germany, on June 1st.

“For more than 15 years Gustl was a towering and well-loved figure on the IFJ and EFJ landscape,” said the IFJ President Christopher Warren, EFJ Chair, Arne Konig and IFJ/EFJ General Secretary, Aidan White in a statement to unions today.

Gustl was a distinguished radio journalist with a long career in German Regional Radio (Sudwestfunk). He became a member of the IFJ Executive Committee at Baia Chia, Italy in 1990 and at the same time entered as the founding President of the EFJ and was the Vice-President of his union the DJV since 1986.

Glattfelder was a pioneer of the European journalist movements and although he retired last year handing over to Arne Konig, Vice-President of the Swedish union, Svenska Journalistförbundet, he continued to represent the EFJ in its media work with the Council of Europe.

When announcing his death, his family relayed Gustl’s express wishes, in keeping with his commitment to solidarity and internationalism, to donate any practical expressions of sympathy to the IFJ International Safety Fund.

Those who wish to make a donation should send it marked “Gustl Glattfelder” to:

The IFJ Safety Fund
A/C: BE64 2100 7857 0052
Swift Code: GEBABEBB
Fortis Bank, Rond Point Schuman 10
1040 Brussels, Belgium