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{{Infobox Scientist
| name = Michael Succow
| image =
| imagesize = 180px
| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|4|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = Lüdersdorf near [[Bad Freienwalde]], [[Germany]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = [[Germany]]
| field = [[biology]], [[landscape ecology]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Greifswald]]
| work_institutions = [[University of Greifswald]]<br>Academy of Agricultural Sciences ([[GDR]])
| doctoral_advisor =
| academic_advisors =
| doctoral_students =
| notable_students =
| known_for =
| influences =
| influenced =
| awards = {{nowrap|[[Right Livelihood Award]] (1997) }}
| footnotes =
}}

”’Michael Succow”’ (* 21 April 1941 in Lüdersdorf near [[Bad Freienwalde]]) is a [[Germany|German]] [[biologist]] und ecologist. His numerous publications are mostly devoted to the [[ecology]] of [[moorland]]s and his typology of moorlands is today used as a standard classifications strategy for moorlands.

In 1997, he was awarded the [[Right Livelihood Award]] for his work, particularly his efforts to create [[nature reserve]]s in Germany, Eastern Europe and Asia.

==Life==
Succow studied biology at the [[University of Greifswald]] from 1960 until 1965. He stayed at the University of Greifswald for yet another four years as scientific assistant. When he openly sympathised with reform forces during the [[Prague Spring]] in 1969, [[GDR]] officials pressed for him to leave the university. Succow now worked outside the university, but nevertheless finished is [[PhD]] thesis on moor vegetation in 1970. He then worked in [[Mongolia]] for several months before becoming a scientific employee at the Department of [[Agrology]] at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of the [[German Democratic Republic]], a position that allowed him to write his [[habilitation]], which in turn helped him become a professor at the academy in 1987.

For a short period in 1990, Succow was the vice secratary of nature, conservation and water of the GDR. On the 12th of September 1990 Succow successfully pressed the Council of Secretaries of the GDR on their last meeting before the [[German reunification]] to declare about 7% of the soon-to-be dissolved nation as [[national park]]s and [[biosphere reserve]]s.

After the German reunification, Succow accepted a visiting professorship at the [[Technical University of Berlin]]. He then worked as a consulted for the state of [[Brandenburg]] as well as on an international level, for instance initiating seven National Parks in the country of [[Georgia]]. He was hired as a full university professor for [[geobotany]] and [[landscape ecology]] and director of the Department of Botany and the botanical garden of the University of Greifswald in 1992.

After 1990, Succow did consulting work in a number of former [[Warsaw Pact]] countries as well as in [[Central Asia]] and [[East Asia]] resulting in the designation of nature reservations (including a number of [[UNESCO]] world nature heritage sites) in [[Kamchatka]], the [[Lena River|Lena]] river delta, [[Karelia]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Mongolia]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Russia]] and [[Belarus]].

With the prize money of the [[Right Livelihood Award]], the founded the ”Michael Succow Foundation for the Protection of Nature” ([[German language|German]]: ”Michael-Succow-Stiftung zum Schutz der Natur”), which, for instance, helped [[Azerbaijan]] to create a national park programme with up to eight reserves.

Michael Succow is a scientific councellor to a number of environmental organisations and institutions.

== Honours (selection) ==
*1997 [[Right Livelihood Award]] in [[Stockholm]]
*2000 [[Urania (Berlin)|URANIA]]-Medaille für besondere Leistungen in der wissenschaftlichen Volksbildung
*2001 [[Bundesverdienstkreuz]] (First Class)
*2005 Order of Merit of the State of [[Brandenburg]]
*2006 Rubenow Medal of the City of [[Greifswald]]

== Weblinks ==
* {{PND|121167879}}
* [http://www.rightlivelihood.org/succow.html Succow at the Right Livelihood website]
* [http://www.succow-stiftung.de/ Michael Succow Foundation]
* [http://www.botanik.uni-greifswald.de/ Department of Botany, University of Greifswald]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Succow, Michael}}
[[Category:German scientists]]
[[Category:Right Livelihood Award]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:University of Greifswald alumni]]
[[Category:University of Greifswald faculty]]

[[de:Michael Succow]]