Munich (dpa / lby) - What do top triathlete Anne Haug, moderator Kai Pflaume and actor Christian Tramitz have in common? The Bavarian Order of Merit. Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) presented them with the award on Thursday in Munich. A total of 75 personalities were honored at the ceremony in the residence, including Minister of State Florian Herrmann (CSU). Not all honorees are prominent, such as Upper Bavarian Josef Stückl, who received the medal for his commitment to the acceptance of the queer community in Bavaria.
"These are times of crisis when you need a compass, you need the ability and courage to make decisions and then you need the backbone to get through things when things get difficult," said Söder in his keynote speech. "All of you who are being honored here have demonstrated this in different ways in your life through your work and your commitment. You are all role models in these times."
The medalists were not only honored for their achievements, but also to encourage others that something can be done even in difficult times, it said. They would prove that with commitment you can make the world a little bit better.
The Order of Merit is awarded "as a sign of honoring and grateful recognition for outstanding services to the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian people", as stated in the 1957 law. It also stipulates that the number of living medal bearers is limited to 2000. Politicians and entrepreneurs are just as much among them as athletes and artists.
