Halle. “Don’t worry,” is the sentence the man who worked for over three decades in Halle’s city administration often said. “I never found the name a burden, I saw it as humorous,” he says and smiles usually mischievous.
Today he has his last working day in the administration of the city of Halle and with that he leaves the worries of working life and those of other people behind him: “I always see worry more as an aspect of worrying,” says the 59-year-old. A look at the vita of the native Haller, who was born at home in the Mönchstraße saw the light of day, gives an idea of what Olaf Sorge has taken care of over the past decades.
In 1977 he began his training in the middle service of the Haller city administration, then made up the Abitur at the evening high school and qualified from 1982 to 1985 for the senior civil service career at the university for the public service. From 1985 to the end of 2000, Olaf Sorge worked in the social and sports department and in the housing benefit office. He then worked as a deputy head of department in the main and personnel office until 2017, was city marketing officer since 2009, team leader for organization, procurement, elections from 2019 and deputy head of department 1.1 since September 2020.
Making people a little more carefree by working
But no matter how the job description has changed over the years, two things were always particularly important for Olaf Sorge: He always wanted to create something, to make a difference and to make people a little less carefree through his work. He was never a classic desk clerk who worked on files and moved them from one pile to the other. Life in the Lindenstadt was and is his hobbyhorse and his personal credo fits this: “Everything that is is good – but it is not so good that it cannot be made a little better.” Among the personal highlights of his intensive one Professional life includes accompanying and helping to shape the former Kisker-Areals on the B 68 to the community center, with the Remise, the ham house, the distillery and the building of the Ravensberg adult education center. He also got involved very early on for refugees from many countries as well as for the senior citizens of his hometown.
Concessions for the Burg-Club and the Flamingo Bar
Olaf Sorge fondly recalls the meeting with tennis ace Roger Federer on the occasion of the inauguration of the street at the stadium with his name. “It is impressive to see someone like him who, despite his success, has remained down-to-earth.” Olaf Sorge experienced many special encounters and events during his service. That alone could fill many pages. There is the award of concessions for establishments like the former Burg-Club in Kölkebeck or the Flamingo Bar in the venerable Grünwalde. And a headline in the Bild newspaper is still present after the Haller Ordnungsamt canceled the appearance of pop singer Ingrid Peters due to a lack of toilets and thus angered the fans. But those are worries of days long gone.
Before entering the passive phase of partial retirement, many memories of encounters and events from many years of service will surely flare up and a little sadness will arise. But Olaf Sorge wipes them away confidently and with a smile as usual: “I’m looking forward to the new freedom, more time for the family, for sports and other activities.” Olaf Sorge has a second marathon in mind as well as the fifth participation in the Hermannslaufif that is possible again. The prospective retiree would like to drive across the country in a convertible and of course hit the yellow felt ball over the tennis net again. One or the other activity will certainly take a little more time, but Olaf Sorge is completely relaxed: He will try to make the best of everything and if he gets bored after two or three months of relaxation, then there are sure to be things that someone in Lindenstadt could take care of …
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