Ex-Mayor of Sylt, Nikolas Häckel, has passed away
Former mayor of the North Sea island of Sylt, Nikolas Häckel, has died at the age of 50.
The politician passed away over the weekend after a long and serious illness, his family confirmed on Monday. Häckel had been mayor of the island for 10 years until he was defeated in the local elections in September 2022.
Tributes have been paid to the politician from across the political spectrum.
Current Sylt mayor, Inga Dietrichsen, said Häckel had been a "great advocate for the island" and had always put the interests of the people first. "He was a passionate and committed politician who will be greatly missed," she added.
Häckel was born in 1972 and grew up on the island of Sylt.
He studied law in Kiel and worked as a lawyer before entering politics. He was first elected to the Sylt council in 2003 and became mayor in 2012.
During his time as mayor, Häckel oversaw a number of major projects, including the construction of a new school and a new sports center.
He was also a strong advocate for the island's tourism industry and was involved in the development of a new tourism strategy.
Häckel was defeated in the local elections in September 2022 by independent candidate Inga Dietrichsen.
He had been suffering from a long and serious illness at the time and had announced his retirement from politics shortly after the election.
