Former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) was awarded the State Prize of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in Cologne on Tuesday. The State Prize, established in 1986, is the country’s highest award. Previous winners include racing driver Michael Schumacher, former Federal Environment Minister Klaus Töpfer, founder of Circus Roncalli, Bernhard Paul, and women’s rights activist Alice Schwarzer.
Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) justified the award by saying that Merkel had successfully steered Germany through many crises. He also named “their extraordinary humanitarian achievements and their outstanding services to Germany’s reputation in the world”. In April, Merkel had already received the highest possible level of the Federal Cross of Merit.
Earlier on Tuesday, the former chancellor was already on the road in North Rhine-Westphalia. She returned to Bad Münstereifel – one of the places hardest hit by the 2021 flood disaster. There she got an idea of the reconstruction, accompanied by the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU). The 68-year-old met citizens, visited shops and found out about the progress of the repairs in the town hall.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) with the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (2nd from right CDU) and the Mayor of Bad Münstereifel Sabine Preiser-Marian (l, CDU).
(Photo: Oliver Berg/dpa)
As Chancellor at the time, Merkel traveled to the place devastated by the flood of the century in July 2021 and promised to come back – even if she was no longer in office. She did not officially announce her visit on Tuesday. Onlookers on the street reacted with surprise when the prominent visitor entered the “Frauenzimmer – Schöne Hände und Tüdelü” shop.
During her visit to Bad Münstereifel, Angela Merkel received honey from a local resident.
(Photo: Oliver Berg/dpa)
Two years ago, Merkel was shocked by the destruction. The disaster killed 49 people in North Rhine-Westphalia, many of them in Bad Münstereifel. At least 135 people died in Rhineland-Palatinate. The material damage was in the tens of billions. At the time, the chancellor promised the municipal leaders: “We won’t forget you any time soon, we’ll keep getting an idea of how things are with the reconstruction.” It is very clear “that we will need a lot of staying power here”.
In 2021, Merkel was accompanied by the then Prime Minister Armin Laschet. The CDU politician had caused outrage nationwide at another appointment in the flood area with his laughter during a speech by the Federal President. Merkel is expected in Cologne, a good 60 kilometers away, on Tuesday afternoon. There she is to be honored with the state’s highest award, the NRW State Prize.