Volunteer Heroes: Cross of Merit for 9 awardees in MV!

Volunteer Heroes: Cross of Merit for 9 awardees in MV!

Volunteering is very important in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania! On September 18, 2025, nine outstanding personalities were awarded the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in Schwerin. This honor recognizes those people who have worked for the well-being of their community over the years. Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) presented the awards on behalf of the Federal President and emphasized the immense importance of volunteer work, which includes almost 30 million people in Germany who work for the common good in their free time, according to Deutschland.de.

Among those honored are notable personalities from Rostock and the district. Kay Czerwinski, a native of Rostock, was honored for his eight-year leadership of the MV State Parents' Council and as co-initiator of the Alliance for Good Schools. Promoting education and school quality is his top priority and shows that he has a good handle on important social issues, reports NDR.

Volunteering in the region

Karin Wien from Güstrow was also recognized for her extraordinary commitment. She is a co-founder of the women's protection initiative, which was launched in March 1991. Your initiative made a decisive contribution to the founding of the state working group of women's shelters and advice centers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. She also developed the state model project “CORA – Contra against violence against women”, which launched five intervention centers against domestic violence and stalking. This shows how important tireless commitment to the protection of women and children is and what a significant contribution it makes to society, according to n-tv.

Karsten Fennel, who promotes the coexistence of young people from different nationalities, was also honored. He organizes meetings to promote understanding and has launched a housing project for disadvantaged young people in Rostock. These projects promote social cohesion in the region and are an expression of the award winners’ diverse commitment.

Other awardees and their contributions

In addition to the volunteers mentioned, numerous other personalities were also recognized:

• Heike Grawwert – Initiatorin der folkloristischen Tanzgruppe Jasmunder Plattdänzer
• Heiko Kauffmann – Menschenrechtsaktivist und engagiert für geflüchtete Menschen
• Falk Koop – Für die Förderung von Akzeptanz und Toleranz gegenüber queeren Lebensweisen
• Wilfried Kühl – Über 30 Jahre Bürgermeister von Moltzow und engagiert im Fußball und der Feuerwehr
• Ulf Schwarzer – Aufbau der Ortsgruppe der DLRG, Ausbildung von Rettungsschwimmern
• Stefanie von Laer – Gründung des Fördervereins “Historische Orgel zu Ruchow”

A total of around 650 awards for volunteer work were presented in Germany in 2022. The winners are not only widely recognized, but are also nominated for the German Engagement Prize, which combines various competitions and thus honors volunteer work in all its facets. This shows how much passion and commitment goes into the many different initiatives that enrich social interaction.

The commitment of these nine is a shining example of how important it is to stand up for the community. They are priceless pillars in our social fabric and contribute significantly to improving the quality of life of many people. Cheers to the volunteers!