Ludwig Beck Award 2011

In a ceremony on December 7, 2011, Marcel Gleffe was awarded the Ludwig-Beck-Prize  for Civil Courage of the regional capital of Wiesbaden. For the first time, this prize is furnished with 10,000 Euros. The new Wiesbaden prize for civil courage was awarded at the same time.

Marcel Gleffe gallantly risked his own life to save the lives of at least 20 people caught in the midst of the massacre on the Norwegian island of Utøya on July 22, 2011. It was on this day that assassin Anders Breivik first set off a bomb in Oslo’s parliamentary district and subsequently went on a shooting rampage on the island of Utøya where a large group of youths were gathered at a camp; among them, 69 of the youths were killed.

The panel of judges voted unanimously for Marcel Gleffe to receive the award.  His courage, his selflessness, and his modesty has made him the epitome of civil courage and valiant action.  The Hessian Capital City of Wiesbaden last year revised the guidelines for granting the Ludwig Beck Award, as well as increased the monetary prize and opened up the nomination process to allow for nominees from all over the world.

The Ludwig Beck Award will be bestowed during a ceremony on Wednesday, December 7th in the City Hall ballroom along with the Award for Civil Bravery. Gerald Traufetter of the German news magazine Der Spiegel  will give a speech at the award ceremony.

The Ludwig-Beck-Prize  was awarded in a ceremony on December 7, 2011  together with the prize for civil courage in the Festsaal of the Town Hall. The laudation was held by Gerald Traufetter from the German news magazine "Der Spiegel".

Andrea Gabel and Harald Flackus were awarded the prize for civil courage. This prize honors persons, institutions and associations from Wiesbaden who  with outstanding commitment helped others. Andrea Gabel and Harald Flackus on October 4, 2011 spontaneously intervened in a robbery in the inner Wiesbaden city and stopped the offense.