Rüdiger Heß: Medal of Merit for Frankenberg's European pioneer!

Rüdiger Heß: Medal of Merit for Frankenberg's European pioneer!

In a ceremonial setting, Rüdiger Heß, the long-time mayor of Frankenberg (Eder), was awarded the Medal of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. The honor took place in Wiesbaden and was presented by State Secretary Michael Ruhl. Heß, who was born in Allendorf (Eder) in 1956, achieved a lot in his political career.

From 1998 to 2004 and again from 2012 to 2024 he directed the fortunes of the city of Frankenberg. Before that, he was a city councilor and first city councilor in Homberg (Efze). His voluntary work focuses primarily on maintaining customs and promoting regional folk culture. For example, he played a major role in ensuring that the Europeade, a large festival for folk music, singing and dance, took place again in Frankenberg in 2019 and attracted over 100,000 guests.

A heart for Europe

Heß is not only an important player in Hessian local politics, but also a true European. This was highlighted by his election as President of the International Europeade Committee (IEC) in 2018, when he was named the first non-Belgian and first German to hold this position. His involvement is not just limited to festivals. He has also been active in the German Europeade Committee (DEK) since 2004 and has held the chairmanship since 2007. During this time, Heß founded the “German Europeade Committee e.V.” founded to advance German folk cultures.

His European commitment was also recognized with the European Medal, which Rüdiger Heß was awarded by MEP Michael Gahler. This honor took place in Geismar on the 30th anniversary of the reunification of Germany. Gahler emphasized that Heß was a role model for citizens who are committed to Europe and praised the city of Frankenberg as one that is open to Europe.

Diverse voluntary commitment

Rüdiger Heß's commitment to volunteer work is remarkable. In addition to his political work, he has been involved for many years as a reserve officer in disaster control in the Waldeck-Frankenberg district liaison command and holds annual meetings for traditional costume groups from Germany and abroad. As chairman of the Leader Region Burgwald Ederbergland, he also does valuable work that enriches regional life.

Volunteering is a mainstay of society in Germany. According to a study, there are almost 86,000 sports clubs, over a million volunteers in the fire department and around 900,000 people involved in churches who, among other things, serve as group leaders or on the church council. Heß's active contribution to these initiatives impressively shows how important such commitment is to promote a vibrant civil society. Every year, International Day of Volunteering on December 5th reminds us how important supporters like him are to our communities.

With his tireless work, Rüdiger Heß not only consolidated local traditions, but also built bridges to other cultures in Europe - a true role model for a European-minded society. A big thank you for his countless contributions from the city and its citizens!

Further details about Rüdiger Heß' award can be found on the websites of Landwirtschaft Hessen and Europeade. Information about volunteer work in Germany can be found on Statista.