Newsletter 1/2012

Federal Cross of Merit for Helmut Schwarz

Helmut Schwarz, President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, was awarded the Cross of Merit, First Class, of the Federal Republic of Germany on 9 February.

The honour recognises Helmut Schwarz’s outstanding services to Germany as a location for research and business. In conferring the honour, Federal Minister of Research, Annette Schavan, particularly emphasised academic cooperation between Israel and Germany. Schwarz had initiated many joint research projects and had driven and developed the cooperation that had already existed with Israel for nearly 50 years.

Schwarz also received the honour as an expression of recognition and respect for his work as a researcher: he is a world leader in the field of molecular chemistry. Helmut Schwarz has been Professor of Chemistry at TU Berlin since 1983 and has both taught and conducted research in countries such as England, Israel, the USA, France, Japan, Australia, Austria and Switzerland.

The Order of Merit is awarded by the Federal President to German and foreign citizens for political, economic, social or intellectual achievements as well as for all kinds of distinguished services to the nation.