Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class for Dr Gudrun Löwner

On 11 February, Prof. Dr Dr Gudrun Löwner, professor abroad of the ELM, was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class.

She can now join the ranks of actress Evelyn Hamann, science journalist Harald Lesch and Holocaust survivor and historical witness Anita Lasker-Wallfisch: Prof. Dr Dr Gudrun Löwner was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class on February 11. She was honoured in her adopted home of Bangalore, India, at the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Order of Merit, also known colloquially as the Federal Cross of Merit, is an honour awarded by the Federal Republic of Germany for services to the common good. It is awarded for political, economic-social, and intellectual achievements in several gradations. They range from the Cross of Merit with Ribbon (Medal of Merit) to the Cross of Merit 1st Class and the Grand Cross of Merit with Star and Shoulder Ribbon.

"It's not every day that we present someone with the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class on behalf of our Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more than Pastor Dr Gudrun Löwner. We honour her for her over two decades of charitable work in India," said the Consulate General in Bangalore.

In an email from the Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Lower Saxony, which has supported her theological work for many years, Gudrun Löwner sent a short video of the ceremony and commented: "This is an upgrade compared to the Federal Cross of Merit, which I already received in 2008. Thank you for all your support for my work. Without you, the work would never have been successful."

Gudrun Löwner also received congratulations from the Evangelical Church of Germany. Bishop Petra Bosse-Huber, Vice President and Head of the Department for Ecumenical and International Work, and Frank Kopania, Head of the Department for International Work, wrote to her: "Consul General Achim Burkart's words once again express what makes you so special: being at home in both contexts - in India and Germany, implementing theology both practically and academically in projects, in supporting women, in accompanying students and their PHD studies."

Gudrun Löwner has been working as an ELM professor abroad in India for many years. She is also a pastor of the German-speaking congregations in Bangalore and Chennei. Born in Wuppertal, she has also made a name for herself as the author of several books. One of her focal points has been research into Christian motifs in Indian art and the function of art as a bridge between religions.