Honorary for Michael Landau: Hope and courage for Austria's future!

Honorary for Michael Landau: Hope and courage for Austria's future!

On January 8, 2025, Michael Landau, President of Caritas Europe and former head of Caritas in Austria, was awarded the Great silver honor for services to the Republic of Austria. The honor took place in the Ministry of Social Affairs in Vienna, presented by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and Minister Johannes Rauch. During the ceremony, Landau called for a committed commitment to the rule of law, democracy and human dignity. In his acceptance speech, he expressed concern about the latest domestic developments in Austria and emphasized the need to protect the principles of dialogue and respectful coexistence. "If essential parts of a country no longer seem able to speak the language of dialogue and compromise, then it has to alarming us extremely," said Landau, as well as kathpress reported.

award as a fundraiser of the year

In addition, Landau was awarded the "Fundraiser of 2024" during the Austrian Fundraising Congress in Vienna. This honor recognizes his decades of commitment to people in need and its central role as a bridge builder between politics, business and civil society. In his acceptance speech, Landau saw the award as the collective success of his employees, but at the same time emphasized the growing threats to human rights and democratic values in the world.

Landau appealed to the next federal government not to save in the wrong place when it comes to social cohesion and warned of the dangers of increasing polarization in society. "It is up to us whether we will still live in a society tomorrow in which human dignity is indivisible," he warned. Also Katholisch.at emphasized that Landau was an "unprecedented donation communicator", the humanitarian beliefs of which represent the foundation of his success. These awards not only underline the significant contribution to Caritas, but also the importance of values such as solidarity and human rights in society.