The Würzburg entrepreneur Dr. Kurt Eckernkamp Senator e.h. (76) received the Bavarian Order of Merit from Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer in the Antiquarium of the Munich Residence on Wednesday, July 20, 2011. This highest award of the Free State of Bavaria is presented as a "sign of honorable and grateful recognition" for outstanding services to the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian people.



It is a symbol of the outstanding commitment and extraordinary dedication of citizens to our community. Seehofer emphasized: "Bavaria's strength lies in its people, who are actively and creatively committed to the state and have achieved an incredible amount."



Dr. Kurt Eckernkamp is the publisher and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Vogel Business Media, one of the largest specialist media companies in Germany, which is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. Eckernkamp is particularly active in society with his Vogel Foundation. It is one of the largest private foundations in Germany and supports two major projects in particular: the endowed professorship "Specialist Journalism" at the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt and the "Vogel Study" research project on the "Early Detection of Alzheimer's Dementia" at the University of Würzburg. "An award like this is a great incentive for me to continue my commitment to the Würzburg region," said Eckernkamp after receiving the award.



Eckernkamp's father-in-law Ludwig Vogel received the Order of Merit in 1970. The Bavarian Order of Merit was created in 1957 by an act of the Bavarian State Parliament. A total of 61 people were honored in 2011. The total number of living recipients is limited to 2,000. Since the award ceremony on July 20, 2011, there have been 1,862 living recipients of the Bavarian Order of Merit.



About Vogel Business Media: The specialist media company is one of the leading German specialist information providers with around 100 trade journals and 60 websites as well as numerous international activities. Its headquarters are in Würzburg. The print and online media primarily serve the industrial, automotive, information technology and legal/business/tax sectors. They offer advertisers customized communication solutions ranging from reach and image building to lead generation. Multi-media via print, online, events and services. The editorial teams prepare specialist and industry topics for readers, users and event visitors and guarantee high-quality knowledge transfer and information. The company celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2011.