Deserved Max Fürst Prize for Friedbert Mühldorfer in Traunstein!

Deserved Max Fürst Prize for Friedbert Mühldorfer in Traunstein!

On Wednesday evening, June 27, 2025, an important event took place in the Kulturforum Klosterkirche Traunstein: the awarding of the Max Fürst Prize by the Historical Association for Chiemgau. This year, the prize, which honors contributions to the culture of remembrance and historical reappraisal, went to Friedbert Mühldorfer, a recognized local historian and author. His commitment to the Nazi victims and the memory of resistance and persecution makes him a role model in regional historical research. pnp.de highlights that Mühldorfer also wears the Medal of Honor from the city of Traunstein.

The ceremony was attended by prominent personalities: Deputy District Administrator Andreas Danzer, Mayor Dr. Christian Hümmer and the second mayor Burgi Mörtl-Körner gave laudations that honored Mühldorfer's moral courage and important work in coming to terms with Nazi history. His commitment to the Jewish Holzer family, whose history he actively researched, was particularly emphasized.

Young talents honored

But it wasn't just Mühldorfer who was honored; Youth also played a central role in the award ceremony. In the “Youth Prize” category, students from various locations were honored. Emma Höhne from Übersee, Anna Lermer from Siegsdorf and Pia Lengg from Reit im Winkl were able to secure individual prizes. Group prizes went to a seminar group from the FOS/BOS for their successful exhibition about “650 years of Jewish life in Traunstein” as well as a P-seminar from the Chiemgau-Gymnasium, which presented an impressive multimedia show for the city’s anniversary.

In the context of the current discussion about the culture of remembrance in Germany, the results of the current memo study by the Remembrance Responsibility Future Foundation (EVZ) cast a shadow on the vibrant celebration of historical heritage. According to tagesschau.de, many Germans are thinking about drawing a line under the Nazi past. A shocking 38.1% of respondents are in favor of this, while 42.8% think it is important to keep the memory of the Nazi crimes alive.

The demographic differences show that middle-aged people and AfD voters in particular agree with this line theory. The study also draws attention to gaps in knowledge among the population: only 35.5% can roughly explain the term euthanasia in the context of the Nazi era and around 75% have no realistic assessment of the number of victims. These findings are thought-provoking, especially with regard to the commitment of people like Mühldorfer to promote a living culture of remembrance.

A challenging legacy

Given the role that private and political life played during the war years, the facts about the 18 million military families in World War II cannot be ignored. According to juedischerundschau.de, the Nazi leadership used the soldiers' home leave as a tool to boost morale and ensure loyalty to the regime. This was a dark game between private happiness and political pragmatism that made many men witnesses to war crimes, particularly against the Jewish population.

The festivals and celebrations, such as today's awards, are a way to raise awareness of these complex historical relationships and not let the past be forgotten. Friedbert Mühldorfer and the award winners represent their tireless commitment to maintaining and actively shaping historical memory. Their achievements are a ray of hope at a time when there is a constant need to come to terms with the Nazi past.