Euskirchen mourns: Dreiborner's veteran Werner Kaspar takes stock!

Euskirchen mourns: Dreiborner's veteran Werner Kaspar takes stock!

In the picturesque Dreiborn, a small town in the Eifel, a true local hero said goodbye to his political career. Werner Kaspar, who worked as a political leader in the region for many years, has ended his active political work after 26 years. The 66-year-old, who has been a member of the CDU since 1979, can look back on a long period of involvement in the Euskirchen district council and the Schleiden city council. Together with his wife Petra, he ran the Burgschänke in Dreiborn for over 45 years before they leased it out a few years ago. Kaspar, who comes from the catering industry, says that politics was often discussed in his bar, which ultimately led him to the Junge Union and later to the CDU.

As an important part of the Dreiborn community, Kaspar was not only active in politics, but also in club life. Among other things, he led the DJK Dreiborn and the Dreiborn Ornithological Society and was an integral part of the theater club “De Uhsen”. His thematic focus included the household, schools, transport and the development of the village. He particularly appreciated the factual discussions in the political meetings that developed over the years.

Political milestones

Kasper's political career took him to the CDU parliamentary group in the Euskirchen district council from 1999 to 2004. From 2004 he sat for the CDU on the Schleiden city council and took over the office of second deputy mayor from 2008 to 2013 before being promoted to first deputy mayor in 2013. A highlight of his political career was the memorial service in Aachen Cathedral in August 2021 for the victims of the flood disaster, which was attended by prominent politicians such as Angela Merkel and Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

This flood disaster has deeply affected the region and remains a hot topic in politics. The CDU district association sees the traffic light state government in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland as responsible, especially after the accusations by CDU chairman Dirk Herber that the state government had abandoned the people in the Ahr Valley and the Eifel. Herber speaks of a “collective failure” by government members and calls for consequences for those responsible. This has led to heated political debates, in which the opposition parties also criticized the state government's handling n-tv.de.

A sad farewell

Kasper himself is confident about the positive development in Schleiden and Dreiborn, despite the projects that are still open after the flood disaster. The personal highlight, however, was certainly congratulating a 100-year-old at Schleiden Castle, which he has visited every year since then. He leaves the political stage with one laughing and one crying eye. “I will miss my companions,” he says and is looking forward to continuing to follow the sports reports on television, especially the Borussia Dortmund games.

The Dreiborn farewell to Werner Kaspar could hardly be more emotional and soulful, and the many years of commitment have not only enriched political life, but have also had a lasting impact on the community.