Honorable farewell: Horters receive Kiel's highest award!

Honorable farewell: Horters receive Kiel's highest award!

A big festival for the city of Kiel: Peter and Elisabeth Hortter have recently been awarded the renowned Andreas Gayk Medal. This medal, which is the highest award from Kiel after the honorary citizenship, was recognized at a solemn meeting of the Council meeting, which took place on Thursday evening. The Horters are the founders of the Kiel machine museum in the WIK, which was opened with the aim of conveying the fascination for technology, especially historical steam engines and engines. The ceremonial handover of the medal is scheduled for mid -September.

The decision to honor the Horters with this award was not without reason. The machine museum has made its voluntary commitment a central point of contact for technology enthusiasts and those interested in history. Unfortunately, the two withdraw from the organization of the museum company for health reasons, and the city wants to recognize their merits in a particularly worthy manner by awarding the medal.

What is the Andreas Gayk Medal?

The Andreas Gayk Medal is a medal of merit from the city of Kiel, which will be awarded to people who have made a particularly well deserved manner around the city. It is the second highest award from Kiel, according to honorary citizenship. The first ceremony took place in 1971 in the Kiel Council Hall. The medal was named in honor of the former mayor Andreas Gayk.

In order to be able to receive the medal, the candidates must have made important contributions in the areas of politics, business, social affairs or culture. Suggestions for the award can be submitted by citizens, the council meeting or the mayor. A maximum of 30 living people can be excellent at the same time as the medal. In the past, personalities such as the music educator Guntram Altnöder and the local politician Ursula Schele were among the winners.

commitment to the community

Wolfgang Erichsen, another remarkable example of commitment in Kiel, was awarded the Andreas Gayk Medal on September 21, 2017. He has been committed to the city center of Kiel, especially for the Danish street, and has become the face of this area. He is actively campaigning for the revitalization of the city center and works in various local associations, such as in the Kiel Marketing e.V.

The medal is not only symbolically awarded. It comes with a certificate signed by the city president and mayor. So the connection between the city and the honored is solemnly sealed.

With the Hortter family, the light is directed to the importance of voluntary commitment and the preservation of the cultural heritage of Kiel. It remains to be hoped that the city will continue to recognize such outstanding personalities with the Andreas Gayk Medal in the future and thus contribute to the common good.