In his laudatory speech, Vogt emphasized that Wolf "continued to be very involved locally and internationally even after being awarded the Medal of Merit in 2021". She continued to be the first chairwoman of the Rielingshausen Women's Club, which she founded in 1987. In 2021, she decided to hand over the chairmanship for health reasons, which meant that the club had to be dissolved as no successor could be found.
Intense commitment to aid projects for children all over the world
In addition to its work for and with its own members, the women's club was also heavily involved in the social sector and supported numerous selected aid projects for children around the world - for example the Argentinian association "Fundación Wachnitz" and the "German A. Wachnitz Foundation" until 2018. Both the association and the foundation supported people in need locally. Vogt emphasized that it was thanks to Brigitte Wolf's tireless commitment that up to 60 moving boxes of relief supplies could be collected and sent per delivery.
Since 2010, Wolf has also been strongly committed to the integration of Turkish women and girls in Rielingshausen, he continued. Until 2021, she regularly organized meetings at which Turkish citizens and members of the women's club prepared and enjoyed Turkish and German specialties together. The friendship between the women's club and the Turkish women's association in Tirebolu, which was supported with donations, was also due to the efforts of the honoree. The friendly relations between the town of Marbach and Tirebolu resulted in an official partnership this year.
Under Wolf's leadership, the women's club also launched the Christmas wish tree campaign in 2013, Vogt continued. Since then, the campaign, which was organized in cooperation with the city of Marbach and under the patronage of Mayor Jan Trost, has been a great success every year. Around 150 children from local families in need are given presents during the campaign.
Clothes closet set up in former church
During the refugee crisis in mid-2015, Wolf showed great commitment in setting up a clothing store in the former New Apostolic Church in Rielingshausen, continued the first state official. She ran this facility on a voluntary basis together with a few helpers until the church was demolished in 2018. At the height of the refugee crisis, there were up to 30 visitors per opening day in the clothing store.
In winter 2019, Wolf conceived and implemented a winter meal under the motto "Together instead of lonely": once a month, a shared lunch was offered and paid for as much as everyone could or wanted - "a very social and sympathetic arrangement", the laudator noted.
After more than 30 years of service, Wolf handed over her position as contact person for the town twinning with Marbach's Chinese twin town of Tongling to younger hands at the end of 2019. Nevertheless, she continued to be available as a host and for the organization of international meetings.
"Made a valuable contribution to the common good for more than three decades"
Vogt's conclusion: "Until 2021, Mrs. Wolf has made a valuable contribution to social cohesion and the common good for more than three decades with her diverse and extraordinary commitment, especially for the Marbach town twinning and the Rielingshausen Women's Club. The Greek philosopher Aristotle put it this way more than 2300 years ago: 'What is the essence of life? Serving others and doing good'. Mrs. Wolf has done this to an extraordinary degree with her selfless commitment. Wherever she recognized a need, she took the initiative and took action!"
Finally, Vogt congratulated Brigitte Wolf "very warmly on this well-deserved and special award from the Federal President" and presented Wolf's husband with the award.
The Medal of Merit and the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany were established in 1951 by the then Federal President Theodor Heuss. The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the state's only general award for merit. It is awarded for special achievements in the political, economic, cultural, intellectual or honorary fields. The city of Marbach also honored Brigitte Wolf with the Citizens' Plaque in 2019.
