ADVERTISING
District Administrator Thomas Will honors dedicated "local heritage officer" at the district office
In the packed Georg Büchner Hall of the district administration building, District Administrator Thomas Will presented retired pastor Walter Ullrich with the 2025 Culture Prize of the Groß-Gerau district. The prize, endowed with 5,000 euros, has been awarded for the eighth time since 2009.
“Today we are not honoring an artist in the classical sense, but a person who shapes society and, out of deepest democratic conviction, practices the preservation of local heritage,” Will said in his speech.
The ceremony was musically accompanied by the Riedstadt Music Workshop.
Commitment to Jewish history and the culture of remembrance
In his laudatory speech, Wolfgang Schneider praised Walter Ullrich as a role model for dedicated local history preservation. The theologian, born in Goddelau in 1947, has always observed, researched, and shared history. In 1989, he and fellow activists founded the Association for the Promotion of Jewish History and Culture in the Groß-Gerau District, of which he remains chairman.
Schneider particularly emphasized Ullrich's commitment to preserving the old synagogue in Erfelden and to laying Stolpersteine (stumbling stones). Regular city tours and guided visits to the Jewish cemetery in Groß-Gerau are also part of his dedication, as is commemorating the so-called Kornsand murders of 1945.
Church, culture and dialect
After studying theology in Tübingen and Göttingen, Walter Ullrich served as a pastor in Goddelau, and later in Büttelborn and Geinsheim. District Administrator Will believes he embodies a church responsibility that includes social education, reconciliation, and the courage to engage in debate.
In addition to his commitment to the culture of remembrance, Ullrich has been dedicated to preserving the local dialect for decades. In 1977, he founded the "Theater hinner der Kerch" (Theater Behind the Church), and later the Geinsheim theater group "Eher wie nedd" (More Likely Than). As a dialect and local festival pastor, he was well-known far beyond the region.
In his acceptance speech, the honoree appeared both moved and humorous. He thanked all those who had supported him in his projects and admitted with a twinkle in his eye that he was "doing well for his age.".
(DISTRICT OF GROSS-GERAU – RED/PSKGG)
Featured image: Radiant award winner: Walter Ullrich (center) is the recipient of the 2025 Culture Prize of the Groß-Gerau district. The picture shows (from left): District Administrator Thomas Will, Heike Karcher (jury member), Walter Ullrich, presenter Prof. Wolfgang Schneider, Claudia Weller (jury member), and Gabriele Fladung (jury member). Photo: District Administration
