© Boris Buchholz

16 March 2009
Press release

Felix Kolmer was awarded the Order of Merit First Class of the Federal Republic of Germany

On 16 March 2009 the Czech Vice President of the IAC Prof. Felix Kolmer was awarded the Order of Merit First Class of the Federal Republic of Germany at the German Embassy in Prague. Ambassador Helmut Elfenkämper presented him with the high mark of distinction in recognition of his services to new beginnings in meetings between Germany and Czechs. He gave special emphasis to the numerous talks, which Felix Kolmer continues to this day, with school classes in Germany about his life story as a Jewish schoolboy in Prague, as a prisoner in Theresienstadt, Auschwitz and Friedland and later as an internationally renowned professor of physics and acoustics. Felix Kolmer was visibly moved as he expressed his thanks and was pleased that many of his fellow travellers had come to attend the presentation ceremony.

An award was also presented to Dr Oldrich Stansky, similarly an Auschwitz survivor, who has worked hard in many areas for the appraisal of history between Germans and Czechs.

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