Everyday heroes: Six citizens honored for civil courage in the Main-Taunus district

Everyday heroes: Six citizens honored for civil courage in the Main-Taunus district

On July 1, 2025, six brave citizens in the Main-Taunus district were honored for their civil courage. The honorees received recognition for their work in threatening situations from District Administrator Michael Cyriax and Police Director Carina Lerch from the “Citizens and Police” association. They come from all over the district – including Hofheim, Eschborn, Bad Soden, Hattersheim and Hochheim.

Civil courage is often referred to as “civic courage” and describes steadfast action in critical moments, even if this can endanger one’s own safety. Many people do not intervene in dangerous situations, often out of fear or resignation, even though there is a legal obligation to provide assistance in emergency situations (§ 323c StGB). However, on this remarkable day we can see that there are also completely different examples.

The honorees in detail

Mohammed Nassiri from Eschborn particularly stood out. He was injured while trying to stop a man who was trying to steal expensive sneakers, but was not stopped from pursuing the perpetrator until the police intervened. Sylvia Wolenik, a savings bank employee from Bad Soden, also stood up for an 89-year-old man who was being robbed of his money by a fraudster. Thanks to their quick action, the fraud was prevented.

In the same breath, a bank employee in Bad Soden is mentioned, who also showed remarkable attentiveness in preventing a fraud by calling the police when she saw a customer with a fraudster. Turhan Türkeri in Eschborn saved a 72-year-old woman who was beaten by a 75-year-old man and skillfully used his moral courage by alerting the police. Eduard Krebs in Hochheim also demonstrated his moral courage when he caught two bicycle thieves through careful observation.

Another notable incident took place in Hattersheim, where a brave woman helped stop a thief who was stealing from several cars. When he was arrested, additional stolen goods were found in his apartment. These examples impressively show how moral courage can live and shape our everyday lives.

The role of civil courage in everyday life

How many of the honorees show us that moral courage means intervening in critical moments - be it to defend a friend, to support colleagues or to alert the police. The effects are far-reaching: not only is injustice fought, but others can also be encouraged to act too. Unfortunately, studies show that many people do not intervene even when they see injustice being done. A study highlights that knowledge of the legal framework and the reasons for moral courage are crucial in order to finally take action.

There are no comprehensive statistics about moral courage in Germany, but many citizens feel uncomfortable in difficult situations and look the other way. This makes initiatives that focus on education and the promotion of social courage all the more important, especially among young people through various projects and training courses offered by schools and organizations. These forms of support can be a decisive step in developing a civilly courageous society. This topic is also repeatedly addressed in social and political discourse.

But civil courage is not without risks; Intervening in dangerous situations can also be dangerous for those helping, especially if weapons or other threats are involved. Through training and information, experts encourage you to make the right decision in dangerous situations and to call in the police in good time, instead of getting into escalations yourself.

The honored citizens remind us that civil courage is alive and well. Your courageous actions not only show that help is possible, but that websites like MTK, Specialist lawyer and bpb Encourage us not to look the other way when it comes to injustice and injustice, but to take action. Everyone can make a difference.