Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
Kiel, Germany mourns its honorary citizen Otto Schlenzka, who passed away at the age of 96 years in Kiel. On behalf of the City President Hans-Werner Tovar paid tribute to the long-time commander of Kieler Yacht-Club: "With Otto Schlenzka the state capital Kiel loses an outstanding personality. He has influenced Kiel in the field of sailing and was as a true sportsman always an excellent representative of our city."
Otto Schlenzka was awarded in 1996 an honorary citizenship of the Schleswig-Holstein state capital. With this Kiel acknowledged the longstanding excellence of Schlenzka for national and international sailing, and especially for the Kiel sailing area. It is thanks to him that "the International Kiel Week regatta became the largest sailing event in the world and also outside Kiel, Kiel Week is an internationally renowned sailing event," it said of hom at that time.
The Olympic history of the sailing city of Kiel is closely linked with the name Otto Schlenzka. At the opening of the sailing competitions 1936 he was the age of 17, and carried the flag of Japan. In 1972 he was head of the Olympic regatta off Kiel-Schilksee, whose organization is still considered as a model.
Otto Schlenzka was born on March 9, 1919 in Flensburg. He came in 1932 to Kiel and joined 1933 the Imperial Yacht Club (now Kieler Yacht-Club) a. Two years ago, he was honored by the KYC, which he chaired from 1974 to 1983, for 80 years of membership. Schlenzka was honored with many awards not only of sport, he was also in 1984 winner of the Order of Merit.
