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Medal of Honor for flood helpers: Nine rescuers from Göppingen honored!
On June 2, 2025, nine volunteers were honored at the New Palace in Stuttgart for their work during the 2024 floods.
Medal of Honor for flood helpers: Nine rescuers from Göppingen honored!
On Monday, June 2, 2025, a special ceremony took place in the New Palace in Stuttgart, where Interior Minister Thomas Strobl presented the Civil Protection Medal to a total of 125 flood workers. This award was given on behalf of more than 6,000 emergency services who showed their commitment during the devastating flood events in the summer of 2024 in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Baden-Württemberg reports that the flood caused massive damage, including flooded streets, bridges and living spaces.
At the ceremony, Interior Minister Strobl praised the volunteers' exemplary commitment and willingness to help. “In extreme situations, the cohesion in our society becomes apparent,” he emphasized. The awarding of the medal represents a significant step in recognizing exceptional achievements in civil protection and marks the first ceremony of its kind in Baden-Württemberg.
Honoring local heroes
As part of this celebration, nine volunteers from the Göppingen district were also honored. These former emergency services were part of the over 600 volunteers who have formed the backbone of the aid in recent years. Honorees include:
- Markus Arnold – Freiwillige Feuerwehr Gruibingen
- Michael Schilling – Freiwillige Feuerwehr Geislingen an der Steige
- Uwe Pawlitschko – Freiwillige Feuerwehr Eislingen/Fils
- Philipp Damm – Freiwillige Feuerwehr Göppingen
- Tobias Vester – Technisches Hilfswerk Ortsverband Göppingen
- Steffen Kwiatkowski – Freiwillige Feuerwehr Uhingen
- Alexander Baur – Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V. – Kreisgliederung Göppingen
- Christian Bruchner – Freiwillige Feuerwehr Ebersbach an der Fils
- Ralf Kreidenweiß – Freiwillige Feuerwehr Ebersbach an der Fils
Edmund Baur from the Malteser Relief Service and Andreas Aschbacher from the lower civil protection authority accompanied the honor. Minister Strobl's motivating words underlined the importance of disaster control: "We are preparing for future extreme weather events."
A well-deserved recognition
The Civil Protection Medal is awarded to people who have made exceptional contributions to the population. In addition to the medal, the award-winning helpers also received a certificate recognizing their special achievement. This media recognition comes at a time when the challenges posed by heavy rain and flooding in Baden-Württemberg are increasingly in focus again.
In summary, the awards should be seen not only as an incentive for future helpers, but also as a necessary recognition for those who have achieved outstanding achievements over the past year. Filstalexpress particularly highlights this by emphasizing the success of cohesion in difficult times. Additional awards will be held at local events in the coming weeks to honor the efforts of community volunteers.