On Friday 9th May, Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann awarded the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg to 24 individuals. “Every society needs committed people, both in their professional lives and in voluntary work. People who go beyond the call of duty. Who get involved and contribute their skills to drive things forward,” said Kretschmann.

The Order of Merit recognises outstanding service to the common good in the fields of social welfare, culture, business and politics – the number of living recipients is limited to 1,000.

Tobias Merckle, founder of Seehaus e.V. and the Hoffnungsträger Foundation, accepted the Order on behalf of the more than 150 staff members, volunteers and supporters of Seehaus e.V. and the Hoffnungsträger Foundation. “This award is a powerful sign of appreciation for what our staff, volunteers and supporters achieve day in, day out – in their commitment to justice, reparation and integration,” said Merckle.

Also present at the ceremonial presentation were Elvira Pfleiderer, Head of Trauma and Victim Counselling at Seehaus; Michal Bauer, House Mother at Seehaus Leonberg; Nurullah Gabhari, one of the first residents at Hoffnungshaus; Karin Link, Site Manager at Hoffnungshaus Leonberg; and Ludwig Merckle from the Merckle Group.

The State Order of Merit was redesigned in 2016 and today, in the form of a stylised cross bearing the coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg, symbolises the connection between tradition and progress. With today’s award ceremony, the state is sending a clear signal of its commitment to social cohesion and the power of hope and responsibility.

Image for free use, copyright notice: Hoffnungsträger Foundation.

  

About Hoffnungs­träger 

The Hoffnungsträger Foundation was founded in 2013 by Tobias Merckle and has set itself the goal of turning many people into bearers of hope. Since its foundation, under the leadership of Marcus Witzke, integrative housing projects such as the Hoffnungshaus® as well as international programmes for the rehabilitation of offenders and their children have been established. The group now comprises Hoffnungsträger Projektentwickler GmbH, Hoffnungsträger Global Impact and Rosskopf + Partner (since 2021). Furthermore, the subsidiary Sinngeber, operating under the umbrella of the Hoffnungsträger Group, facilitates values-based philanthropy for high-net-worth individuals who wish to support social transformation through their commitment.

Through its diverse programmes, Hoffnungsträger demonstrates how systemic thinking, helping people to help themselves, and action for the common good, in conjunction with social innovation, can bring about sustainable change. At the heart of its work lie charity, active and sustainable integration, and the gift of hope and prospects – these form the foundation for a sustainable and solidarity-based society.

For further information, please visit our website:
hoffnungsträger.de 
ht-projektentwickler.de 
sinngeber.eu
rosskopf-partner.de