HORST WINDISCH
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Horst Windisch was born in Gibeon (South West Africa, now Namibia) on 24th April 1932. Moved to Pretoria with his parents in March 1935, where he has resided ever since. Attended the Deutsche Schule Pretoria and the Technical College in Pretoria during his school years. Started his working career as a millwright apprentice in January 1950 at ISCOR (South African Iron and Steel Works). After four years of apprenticeship, obtained a bursary from ISCOR to complete his mechanical engineering degree at the Witwatersrand University (Johannesburg) in 1956. Then spent two years working for DEMAG (Duisburg, Germany), before returning to ISCOR as a young engineer. Worked all his working life at ISCOR in various maintenance departments, culminating as Project Leader for the first commercial COREX plant in the world, before he retired on pension in May 1991
In 1957 married Erika Rösemann; they have two children, Gerhard and Margot. Gerhard has been working for a security firm on the Frankfurt Airport (Germany) since 1993 and Margot, after working for 15 years as a lawyer, gave up her job and is now teaching English in Eastern European countries (without being able to speak their language)
His outside activities include gem and mineral collecting, hiking, touring and photography. On the hiking front he was National Secretary (for four years) and National Chairman (for four years) of the Hiking Federation of South Africa in the 1980’s. Has hiked the Fish River Canyon (87 km) in Namibia seven times, as well as hiking in South Africa, Namibia, Malawi and the United States. Still interested in photography and touring but his main activities have been in the field of gem and mineral collecting.
He joined the Pretoria Gem and Mineral Club (PGMC) in March 1964, became a committee member in 1966 and then chairman from 1967 to 2001 (with a break of one year in 1976). Some of his major achievements in the PGMC during this period have been:-Introduction of a cabochon competition, starting of a Building Fund which culminated in the opening of the Horst Windisch Clubhouse on 13th June 1992; introduction of an Inter-club committee which plans the coming year’s outings of the PGMC and the Witwatersrand Gem and Mineral Club, the introduction of a “Wildacres-type Workshop” (later becoming known as a “Hobby Booster”, after being guest speaker at Wildacres (North Carolina, USA) in 1991), GEMBOREE chairman (six times).
As far as the Federation of Southern African Federation of Mineralogical Societies (FOSAGAMS) is concerned, he has been involved with it since its inception in 1966 as follows:- President – 1967/68, 1972/73, 1986/90; 1998/to present (2006) Vice-President – 1979/85; Treasurer - 1976/77. Has also handled the following portfolios for a long time – FOSAGAMS Liaison Officer, National Show Rules Chairman, History of Clubs, Exhibitor’s Manual, Audio-Visual Programmes. Has also been Circulation and Advertising Manager for the South African Lapidary Magazine for many yearsas well as being involved in National Gem and Mineral Shows held in Pretoria five times and being Club Show Chairman on numerous occasions. Has also organised and led nine “Extended Rockhunt Tours” (lasting from two to five weeks) through Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa. Was also involved in the planning of tours by overseas rockhound groups to South Africa from USA, New Zealand, Holland and Australia; taking over a South African exhibit to the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Show in Tampa, Florida, USA in 1979. Also involved in the starting-up of new Clubs in Pietersburg, Bloemfontein, Swaziland and Nelspruit
As far as other related activities are concerned, he founded the South African Micromount Society (SAMS) in 1975 and Sand Collectors International (SCI) in 1985. Was up until 2001 the driving force behind SAMS and editor of “Micro News and Views” (the quarterly Newsletter of SAMS) (when due to health problems, had to scale down his activities). However, since 2005, is back again as editor. Was elected into the Micromounters Hall of Fame in Baltimore (USA) in September 1991on which occasion he was also instrumental in the founding of the International Federation of Micromount Societies (IFMS). Here he was elected as President of the IFMS, a position which he still holds today. (He has more than 7 000 mounted micromounts in his collection)
As far as sand is concerned, he is editor of the quarterly Newsletter “The Sands of Time”. He has close on 6 000 sand samples from all over the world in his collection
He is a member of two Gem and Mineral Clubs in South Africa, one in France and three in the USA
Has also worked as a volunteer at the Council of Geoscience (previously Geological Survey) Museum for a couple of hours per week ever since he went on pension in 1991--