With deep regret we inform you that at the age of 85 years, on Thursday, October 13, 2016, passed away

Dr. Michal Džatko, Ph.D.

He was an eminent scientist in the field of Soil Science, soil conservation and soil evaluation,

former Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Slovak Republic
former Director of the Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, Bratislava

Farewell to our colleague and friend was at Thursday, October 20, 2016

Funeral rites began with Liturgy in Greek-Catholic Cathedral of Exaltation of Holy Rood at 11:00 o'clock
Burial was at the cemetery in Slávičie údolie at 14:00 o'clock
Honor his memory!
For grieving scientific community:

Science and Conservation Research Institute Bratislava and Societas pedologica slovaca, o.z.

RNDr. Michal Džatko, CSc. was born on 29. 8. 1931 in Vranov upon Topľa. Secondary education completed graduation in Prešov (1950). For political reasons he could study at Comenius University (Faculty of Natural Resources) only in the years 1952-1955; graduated in biology. In 1956 he began working as an assistant at the Institute of Biology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences; but in 1959, he could only teach in primary schools in Kúty, Kráľová at Senec and High School in Senec. From 1961 until now he is working on the Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute in Bratislava. His professional activity at the Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Research Institute in Bratislava has always tended to addressing issues of conservation and sustainable land use of soil resources system and the country. Later he devoted himself to the detailed ecological land use and soil resources research with emphasis on the protection of agricultural landscape. In this context of efforts and visions he become an active investigator and has participated in the new system of land evaluation in Slovakia, including the assessment and utilization of production potential of soils of Slovakia. He developed and published not a small number of relevant proposals and documents to optimize use and protection of soils and landscape within the Regional Development relating public policy of land use and protection in SR. From 1990-1991 he was Minister of Agriculture and Food of Slovakia, in 1991-1995 he served as Director of Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute in Bratislava. As Minister of Agriculture and Food of Slovakia he pushed the establishment of the Slovak Academy of Agricultural Sciences. This Academy is semantically more significant than just a special guarantee the accuracy of addressing issues of land and soil protection, use and environment for future generations. RNDr. M. Džatko, PhD. is also internationally recognized authority of natural sciences. 20 years was chairman of the "Working Group: Protecting soils in Danube countries (ARGE Donauländer).

Dr. Erwin Szlezak, representing the Working Community of the Danube Countries, honored Dr. Michal Dzatko at the funeral in Bratislava on the 20^th of October 2016 for his wonderful friendship, his real model as an Christian  and his 20 years fruitful leadership of the working group "Ecology, focusing on Soil conservation" of the Working Community of the Danube Countries.
We honor the memory of a great person !

80 th birthday of Dr. Michal Dzako celebrated in St. Pölten Lower Austria