Large Golden Medal of Honor for services to the State of Vienna with the star for former state governors
Vienna (OTS/RK) – Today, Wednesday, Vienna’s Governor and Mayor Michael Ludwig awarded the “Great Golden Medal of Honor for Services to the State of Vienna with the Star” in the ballroom of the town hall to the former Governor of Styria Hermann Schützenhöfer and the former Governor of Tyrol Günther Platter.
In his welcoming speech, Ludwig emphasized that this decoration had only been awarded 15 times since 1945, so it represented a very special award. Vienna’s mayor emphasized that both governors had taken on political responsibility in the face of great challenges: “And you have never shied away from this great responsibility despite the economic crisis, pandemic, inflation and the Russian war of aggression in Europe. This helped the Styrians, the Tyroleans and all Austrians overall. And that also benefited Vienna a lot.”
Günther Platter, born in 1954 in Zams, Tyrol, started his political career as mayor of his home community. In 1994 he entered the National Council before returning to Tyrol as a regional councilor at the turn of the millennium. Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel brought him back to Vienna as Defense Minister in 2003. During his term of office, the purchase of the Eurofighter, the start of the comprehensive army reform and the shortening of military service from eight to six months took place. In 2006 he moved to the Ministry of the Interior before being elected Tyrolean governor in 2008. Platter held this office as a political “marathon man” until 2022. Platter also said that during his time as state governor during the pandemic, “we can find common solutions to overcome crises. “We have succeeded in this in many cases because we have recognized that we can only successfully overcome major challenges as a team,” said Ludwig, who emphasized Platter’s “very rare ability for self-criticism.” “In addition, when you had your own opinion as state governor, you never shied away from sometimes counteracting the federal party: for example, when you decidedly spoke out in favor of comprehensive schools in 2012.”
Hermann Schützenhöfer, born in 1952, was always a politician “with heart and soul”. Schützenhöfer’s political involvement began in the JVP Styria before he entered the Styrian state parliament in 1981, where he took over the club chairmanship in 1994 before he was brought into the state government by state governor Waltraud Klasnic. In 2005, Schützenhöfer took over the role of deputy governor of the Social Democrat Franz Voves. After Vove’s resignation in 2015, Schützenhöfer was sworn in as Governor of Styria; He held this office until 2022. “During the years of the SPÖ-ÖVP coalition, which saw itself as a reform partnership, Schützenhöfer was a ‘connector’ – respected and recognized across all party and state boundaries,” said Mayor Ludwig. The good relationship between Graz and Vienna is no secret; it has always been inspired by the desire to achieve the best together in difficult situations. “And we succeeded so well because we both always knew that there is a tangible intersection between social democratic beliefs and Christian social teaching,” says Ludwig. During the years of the pandemic, Schützenhöfer campaigned to ensure that all of the country’s key forces pulled together. “Your great strength was and is your very special form of communication of talking to each other. The convincing conversation at eye level,” said Ludwig.
The eulogy for Platter was given by Heinz Fischer, former Federal President and honorary citizen of the city of Vienna, and that for Schützenhöfer by his successor and current Styrian governor Christopher Drexler.
The honorees warmly thanked Mayor Ludwig and the laudators for their words. The celebration in the town hall was musically accompanied by the string quartet Art4Strings. The celebration was attended by, among others, the families of the honorees and numerous high-ranking political figures. Among them were the former state governors Michael Häupl, who was also an honorary citizen of the city of Vienna, Erwin Pröll and Josef Pühringer as well as National Council President Doris Bures, Federal Minister Martin Polaschek, Audit Court President Margit Kraker and Constitutional Court President Christoph Grabenwarter. Also taking part in the celebration were EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn and his wife Susanne Riess-Hahn, former Vice Chancellor of the Republic, the former President of the National Council Andreas Khol as well as Vienna City Councilor Veronika Kaup-Hasler and City Council Chairman Thomas Reindl. (End) not
Questions & Contact:
Town hall correspondence
City of Vienna – Communication and Media, Editor on Duty
Service for journalists, city editorial team
01 4000-81081
dr@ma53.wien.gv.at
presse.wien.gv.at
#Governor #Ludwig #honors #Herrmann #Schützenhöfer #Günther #Platter #Viennas #highest #award #City #vienna