Prof. Dr. h.c. Günther Claas * 23 September 1931 † 3 May 2010
Günther Claas is the son of Franz Claas, co-founder of the CLAAS group and shareholder of our company. He leaves behind his sons Dr. Patrick Claas, Benedikt Claas and Tobias Claas as well as his daughters Leonie Claas and Anna Sophia Claas. Just in December 2009 his son Oliver Claas passed away. After many active years Günther Claas lived in his house in Harsewinkel and at Gut Arenshorst in Bohmte near Osnabrück.
With his active collaboration in the Supervisory Board and in the Shareholders’ Committee of the CLAAS KGaA he had an essential impact on the positive development of our company for more than 40 years. Günther Claas was also owner and long-time Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Präzi-Flachstahl AG in Everswinkel. Furthermore he was a Shareholder and Member of the Supervisory Board of CLAAS GUSS GmbH in Bielefeld.
After his studies in Göttingen, Hamburg and Innsbruck, Günther Claas assumed early responsibility in the CLAAS group at home as well as abroad. Having built up the Spanish sales company in the 1950s, he held different management functions in the CLAAS group.
In 1955 he took over the former DSW (Deutsche Spiralbohrer- und Werkzeugfabriken, Remscheid). On his initiative, the products „Precision Ground Flat Stock“ and „Guide Bars“ were launched on the European market for the first time in 1960. Later Präzi-Flachstahl emerged from DSW, today one of the leading suppliers for the tool and die manufacturing and machine tool industry.
In the 1970s, the purchase of a farm in Kenya led to increased economic activity in Africa. This allowed the testing and demonstration of CLAAS combine harvesters, operating under local climate conditions, as well as the forging of contacts with the African market.
In his hometown Harsewinkel he was councillor from 1979 to 1984 and member of the county council of Altkreis Warendorf from 1969 to 1972.
Numerous memberships in charitable associations, such as his long-time chairmanship of the local German Red Cross Harsewinkel (1978 – 1999), were always near to the heart of Günther Claas. During this period he initiated several projects, for example the building of two day-care centres.
Günther Claas also supported many projects in the cultural sector, for example an organ for the St. Paulus church in Harsewinkel. In the district Osnabrück he got involved with the organisation of classic and modern music events in rural areas through the initiative „KulturGut Arenshorst“.
Not least, Günther Claas was also connected to science by promoting the „Max-Eyth-Gesellschaft-Agrartechnik im VDI“. In 1997 Günther Claas was conferred an honorary doctorate by the Mahathma-Ghandi-University due to his great ecumenical and humanitarian contributions as well as being sponsor of science, and in 2003 the same institute bestowed the title „Professor honoris causa“ upon him.
Due to his many social and cultural commitments Günther Claas was conferred the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon in 2007.
Günther Claas always accompanied CLAAS upon its path and was always open to the needs of the people. Moreover he had a diverse and positive influence on the social life in the corporate environment.
All our sympathy is with his family. In sincere mourning we take leave of Günther Claas.
We will honor him in memory.
On behalf of the Supervisory Board: Helmut Claas
On behalf of the Group Executive Board: Dr. Theo Freye
