Volunteer heroes: Steglitz-Zehlendorf awards the 2025 district medal!

Volunteer heroes: Steglitz-Zehlendorf awards the 2025 district medal!

On July 10, 2025, an important ceremony took place in Steglitz-Zehlendorf, at which district councilor René Rögner-Francke awarded three outstanding citizens with the district medal. This award, which recognizes special contributions to the district and its people, shows how important volunteer work is in our community. The honored people were selected based on suggestions from the public, which underlines the democratic nature of this honor.

The award winners are:

• Lothar Beckmann: Auszeichnung für jahrzehntelanges ehrenamtliches Engagement, insbesondere für den Heimatverein Zehlendorf und die Arbeit am Zehlendorfer Jahrbuch.
• Cornelia Mühlhoff: Anerkennung für ihren Einsatz zur Pflege und Verschönerung des Markusplatzes sowie ihre Organisation nachbarschaftlicher Begegnungsmöglichkeiten.
• Günther Schulze: Geehrt für seinen langjährigen Einsatz für geflüchtete Menschen, besonders für das 2014 gegründete „Willkommensbündnis Steglitz-Zehlendorf“.

Volunteering – a cornerstone of society

Volunteering is very popular in Germany: almost 29 million people are actively involved in volunteer work. These figures are also reflected in the federal government's new engagement strategy, which aims to support this valuable commitment. The strategy, which has gone through a process of over a year with citizen participation, represents progress in social-ecological change and in strengthening social cohesion. It replaces the “National Engagement Strategy” originally introduced in 2010 and has collected more than 8,300 ideas from civil society to promote collaboration and enable new forms of engagement.

There are many ways to get involved. Whether in local clubs, supporting refugees or in climate and environmental protection: volunteers create impulses and contribute to enriching their environment. Voluntary engagement becomes particularly important in times of crisis, as society has to stick together and overcome challenges.

Invitation to participate

The process for nominating candidates for the District Medal is open to all citizens. Proposals can be submitted until March 28, 2025. A detailed justification is required, which can be sent to the office of the district council. This means everyone can take advantage of the opportunity to honor people who are committed to the well-being of their neighborhood without much fuss. Information about this is also available Berlin.de available.

Stay committed and show appreciation for those who work for the common good! The coming months offer numerous opportunities to get involved and strengthen the community. Let us be inspired by the honorees and the many others who make our district a place worth living in every day!