8 November 2022 – Moenchengladbach – Change of board at the association “Benediktpreis von Moenchengladbach”. The general meeting elected Ulrich Harnacke as the new chairman of the board. He replaces Helmut Linnenbrink, who was not available for re-election for private reasons. Linnenbrink, who had founded the association and revived it with great commitment, was elected honorary chairman by the assembly.

Ulrich Harnacke, from Moenchengladbach, is an independent management consultant and member of various supervisory boards. He previously worked as an auditor and managing director of Deloitte.

In several contributions, the General Assembly paid tribute to Helmut Linnenbrink’s outstanding, decisive services from the preliminary considerations for the founding of the Association to the present day and expressed their appreciation of his tireless, ongoing commitment with great thanks. Without the now new honorary chairman of the association “Benediktpreis von Moenchengladbach”, this outstanding award would not exist.

The Benedict Prize of Moenchengladbach has been awarded for more than half a century and, since its reorientation in 2013, is the third prize in North Rhine-Westphalia with a state-wide claim and supra-regional significance, alongside the Charlemagne Prize of Aachen and the “Prize of the Peace of Westphalia” in Muenster. The prize is endowed with a certificate, plaque and prize money of 5,000 euros. It is independent of religious confession and party affiliation.

The prize is awarded to personalities whose value-oriented actions stand out in a special way against the background of the Christian occidental experience. This is expressed in fundamental work and/or deeds in science, politics, society and culture that are exemplary for the future.

The most recent recipient of the award was the artist and initiator of the Stolpersteine, Gunter Demnig. Queen Silvia of Sweden and the former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Claude Juncker, also received the “Benedict Prize of Moenchengladbach”.

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Der neue Vorstandsvorsitzende des Vereins „Benediktpreis von Mönchengladbach“ Ulrich Harnacke (links) und der neue Ehrenvorsitzende, Helmut Linnenbrink.

Foto: Kaspar Müller-Bringmann / Verwendung honorarfrei