German Pres. Visits Harvard, Bestows Awards

German President Johannes Rau made a quick swing through Harvard yesterday, meeting with President Lawrence H. Summers and presenting high honors from his government to a Harvard professor and an administrator.

Rau presented the Bundesverdienst-kreuz, or Cross of the Order of Merit, to Abigail Collins, an associate director of the de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES); and to Christoph Wolff, Mason Professor of Music.

The award is the highest honor that the German government can bestow on a foreign citizen. Although not exclusively an academic award, the award is more often than not awarded to scholars and academics.

Collins was honored at an afternoon ceremony in the CES atrium. She said beforehand that she was thrilled to received the award, and was particularly excited because she is the first woman and the first non-academic to receive the award at Harvard.

Before presenting the award, Rau praised Collins in a brief speech delivered in German which was repeated in English by a translator. He described Collins as an individual of great energy and kindness in her administrative position in the Center.

“Out of recognition of the trust and friendship you have shown us, a feeling of gratitude has developed,” he said. Rau made special note of Collins’ efforts in selecting, inviting, and making arrangements for visiting scholars, and also for making them feel comfortable and at home in Cambridge.

Although it now focuses on European Studies in general, CES has a special connection with Germany and the German government because it was originally devoted exclusively to German studies.

The audience for the afternoon ceremony consisted mostly of Collins’ friends and family along with faculty, scholars and students affiliated with CES.

“This is an extraordinarily happy occasion for us.” said CES Director Peter A. Hall, who is also Thomson Professor of Government.