Bernd Baumgartl
I returned from holiday to learn the sad news of the death of my friend and colleague, Bernd Baumgartl.
I have worked with Bernd for over ten years on a number of different projects. Bernd was always a pleasure to work with, creative and inventive, free thinking and always concerned to support and help others.
When I first met Bernd he was working for the European Training Foundation in Italy. Soon after he left the ETF to found Navreme, based in Vienna. I became good friends with Bernd and stayed many times at his flat in Vienna. We would often stay up late at night, drinking and talking and I came to look forward to my trips to Vienna. We did not agree about everything – Bernd and me wasted many happy hours debating the merits of private universities! But above all it was Bernd’s humanity, inquisitiveness and love of life which was so appealing about him.
His death has come as a shock. I knew he was ill but when we last talked by skype he seemed to be getting better. We talked about his wedding to Uschi in June and he told me how happy he was and how much in love he was.
Words seem so inadequate…Bernd will be sorely missed by all who knew and worked with him. To Uschi and Bernd’s family and colleagues ..we are thinking of you.
