Honours from the Salzlandfrauen

Salzland women publicly honoured. District Administrator thanks for exceptional commitment at Women's Day celebration.

Aschersleben/SLK. This year, seven more Salzland women will be added to the list: at the now traditional public ceremony marking International Women's Day, District Administrator Markus Bauer honoured the seven women selected from the list of nominees on Friday afternoon at the Bestehornhaus in Aschersleben. They received the "Salzland Woman" honorary award, with which the Salzland district has been honouring women who have made a special contribution to society in the region and continue to do so since 2009.

"Your exemplary voluntary commitment is a great gift for us," said the District Administrator. "Thank you for your perseverance, your creativity, your prudence and reliability. Because with this commitment, you strengthen togetherness, social cohesion and also identification with our Salzland district. Your very personal contribution to ensuring that people enjoy living here, because the active and equal involvement of local people determines how our villages and towns develop. After all, we can only develop the region together in line with our Salzlandkreis 2023 strategy for the future."

The honorary title of "Salzlandfrau" is awarded annually in the areas of business, society, social affairs, culture, sport and youth engagement to recognise and honour special services to the common good. Suggestions come from the population. Together with the Salzland district, the towns of Aschersleben, Staßfurt, Bernburg and Schönebeck with their equal opportunities officers, the Salzlandsparkasse and Salzlandküche GmbH are organisers of the award ceremony. This year, financial support was also provided by Stadtwerke Aschersleben, Staßfurt Bernburg and Schönebeck and Energie Mittelsachsen GmbH.

Pupils from the "Béla Bartók" district music school, who are taught at the Aschersleben site, provided the musical backdrop for the ceremony. The artist Andrea Meier, who lives in Aschersleben, made the clay figures to honour the Salzland women for the first time this year. She took over from Margitta Liesenberg from Stassfurt, who had designed and made these figures with a great deal of love and creativity since the first edition.

Category: Young Commitment | Adelina Boltzmann (Aschersleben)

Adelina Boltzmann has been an active member of the Aschersleben-Staßfurt branch of the DLRG German Life Saving Association since she was a child. It was there that she first learnt how to swim safely and then, as a teenager, how to rescue people. Today, she invests her free time in the organisation and passes on her knowledge and skills to the children and young people as a trainer and instructor with a great deal of patience and empathy.

Adelina Boltzmann is a lifeguard, trainer and instructor at the DLRG. She is a planner and organisational talent and is always there when she is needed somewhere in the club.

She has always been reliable. Even at a young age, she never missed a training session and took on her first tasks. Adelina didn't just want to swim. She also wanted to volunteer at the club and pass on her knowledge and experience to others. She supported the trainers, drew up training plans and organised training sessions. She organised competitions and presentations and organised summer parties, Christmas parties and bike rides for the children.

After reaching the required age, Adelina Boltzmann successfully completed her training as an exercise instructor and took over her first children's group. Even during her vocational training and subsequent studies, she continued to run the group on a regular weekly basis. She has also qualified to run her own first aid courses. Adelina Boltzmann has been in charge of the children's training programme for more than a year now.

Category: Society | Doreen Albrecht (Staßfurt)

Doreen Albrecht has been a volunteer for the Staßfurt Grammar School Support Association for many years, and has been Chairwoman of the Association since 2011. Her work is a significant benefit for youth work in the town of Staßfurt.

Every other year, Doreen Albrecht and her colleagues from the association put together a programme of events, which includes a charity run in the Stadium of Unity in Staßfurt. This charity run is becoming increasingly popular, which is also reflected in the rising donations. Without a doubt, the 2016 charity run under the name "Kämpferherz" was a highlight. It raised almost 15,000 euros, which benefited children in the developing world for the treatment of burns. In the coronavirus year 2020, under difficult conditions, a charity run was started that raised 4,000 euros for a children's hospice in Magdeburg.

Another, no less successful project is the tree planting campaign in cooperation with Salzlandsparkasse. Doreen Albrecht organised the planting of the Königsplatz in Staßfurt. The tree planting campaign is set to become a fine tradition at Dr Frank Gymnasium Staßfurt. After all, it benefits the environment and at the same time creates a sense of belonging to the local community. Which other pupil can say that they have planted their "own tree" near their school?

In 2023, Doreen Albrecht initiated two planting campaigns to beautify the streets between the villages and the town of Staßfurt. The money was provided by local sponsors, some of whom also took part in the planting campaign itself.

With her organisational talent and 80 fellow campaigners, Doreen Albrecht managed to plant almost 8,000 flower bulbs in Löderburg, Neundorf and Staßfurt. She organised the preparation of the areas with the town maintenance company. A further 2,000 bulbs were used for the planting at Königsplatz. A neighbourhood planting campaign in Staßfurt's Lindenweg with a small street festival is also one of the achievements of Doreen Albrecht, now a Salzland woman.

Category: Society | Doreen Schäfer (Atzendorf)

Doreen Schäfer has been volunteering as an organiser, leader and supervisor in children's and youth work for over 20 years.

Since 2003, she has been coaching over 15 children every Monday in the family sports programme at the Atzendorf Central Country Sports Association (ZLG), together with others. In 2015, the members elected her as youth leader of the country sports club.

The annual summer camps for children and young people during the holidays in Atzendorf have been her focus since 2012, and not just in terms of planning. She also looks after the participants. In 2021, around 230 children and young people spent their holidays at the summer camp, despite pandemic restrictions and divided into three sessions. These camps are eventful highlights for the children and young people because Doreen Schäfer and her dedicated helpers put a lot of joy and care into them. Doreen Schäfer also organises trips, excursions and other activities with and for children and young people beyond the summer camps.

Deputy Chairwoman of the ZLG Association since 2020 - Doreen Schäfer is an example of how to combine work and voluntary commitment

When the lease for the ZLG's Sportlerklause ended in 2019, Doreen Schäfer and other club members got involved in keeping the pub open. An organisational team is now ensuring that operations continue. This applies to training and matches as well as all ZLG sporting events. This is also good news for local residents, who can use the Sportlerklause for private events.

Last year, Radio SAW came to Atzendorf with the autumn games. Doreen Schäfer had sent the application letter. 600 guests accepted the invitation and were warmly welcomed to the ZLG Atzendorf sports ground. They celebrated an all-round successful event and raised a considerable amount of money. The money will be used for children and youth work at the sports club and in Atzendorf.

Category: Culture | Kerstin Jungnickel (Zens)

Kerstin Jungnickel is the chairwoman of Heimatfreunde-Zicken-Zens. The association celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023. Kerstin Jungnickel has played a large part in this as a member of the association and as Chairwoman since 2016.

Under her chairmanship, the association has achieved a great deal in village life for the less than 300 inhabitants of Zens. A large number of events are organised every year. They bring joy and strengthen the sense of community in the village. The Heimatfreunde-Zicken-Zens organise the maypole planting with parade and cosy get-together, the local festival with farmer Olympics, horse riding and children's disco. The jazz concert "Klänge im Raum" is very well received. A Halloween festival later in the year with puppet theatre, scary parade and autumn bonfire or the Christmas market and then the Christmas tree burning in cooperation with the fire brigade are also firm favourites.

On "Children's Day", Kerstin Jungnickel and the club members hand out sweets in baskets they have made themselves. All households in Zens are given sweets. If nobody is at home, the basket waits for the Zensers on the windowsill or in the entrance to the house.

For these events to succeed, the association itself must also be well organised. Kerstin Jungnickel's work as chairwoman is particularly important here. She plans and organises, makes countless phone calls and arranges appointments. She can also always be found setting up and tidying up and never loses sight of the organisational overview, even in the event of unavoidable mishaps. This overview also helps with the association's financial matters, with the collection of donations in cash and in kind and expenditure, for which the Chairwoman is also responsible.

Kerstin Jungnickel invests a large part of her free time in creating a lively village community. With her calm and friendly manner, she manages to motivate the club members time and time again, helping to ensure that social interaction is a high priority in Zens.

Category: Social affairs | Felicitas Goll (Belleben)

Felicitas Goll has been a firefighter for over 30 years and is extremely active in the Belleben volunteer fire brigade. She has played a key role in the formation of a large group of active female firefighters, who are extremely successful in operations and firefighting competitions.

With the help of Felicitas Goll, a new model of fire brigade management was created with a wide range of responsibilities based entirely on personal competences. She makes a significant contribution to the cohesion of the Belleben volunteer fire brigade. And this community also spilled over into social life in Belleben. Thanks to Felicitas Goll's commitment, the volunteer fire brigade has become a firm partner and helper at numerous events organised by local clubs and organisations.

As deputy mayor of Belleben, the woman with a wealth of life and professional experience is always on hand when she is needed and puts her own interests in the background when it comes to social issues in the town. Felicitas Goll retired as a teacher this school year, but she has no intention of reducing her social commitments in future.

Category: Social Affairs | Andrea Drong (Freckleben)

Andrea Drong has been supporting children and youth work in Freckleben on a voluntary basis since 2008. Compared to the town centre of Aschersleben, there are few opportunities for young people in the villages due to the lack of infrastructure. This makes Andrea Drong's commitment all the more important.

With a lot of heart and dedication, she is committed to the interests of the children of Freckleben. Together with them, she has been organising leisure activities at the youth club five times a week from 3 to 6 p.m. for over 15 years. She is the good soul of the club, the motivator, the source of inspiration, the confidant and sometimes the comforter when the children are worried. She looks after the children and young people at the summer camp, organises night hikes at Halloween and excursions during the holidays. Health problems have not yet prevented Andrea Drong from remaining loyal to the youth club.

The children and young people value and respect her very much. With her helpfulness and altruistic nature, she is an indispensable confidant for them.

Category: Sport | Petra Jänichen (Schönebeck)

Petra Jänichen has been a member and trainer at Schönebecker Sportclub 1961 since 1992. In the years that followed, she qualified as an apparatus gymnastics trainer with the Saxony-Anhalt State Gymnastics Association and also took advantage of every further training opportunity, which benefited the department. She obtained her state licence as a judge and took over the management of the department in 2010. She played a leading role in developing not only the results-orientated training, but also the external image of the gymnastics department.

For years, she has organised holiday camps and training camps at the Osterburg sports school during the winter holidays and is also responsible for the annual event as part of the "Fair Play for the Future" project. In addition, she has brought numerous regional and state championships to Schönebeck, which have always been successfully organised with the expertise and involvement of the department and the gymnasts' parents.

Another success story is the further development of the sophisticated acrobatic show programme that Petra Jänichen puts together with the young girls and women every year. The group has already performed extremely successfully at several Saxony-Anhalt Days, spa park festivals, sports honours, the Schönebeck town festival and the Solecup, as well as many other events.

Gymnasts Maja Körner and Lilly Voß, both 18 years old and 14 members of the club, had the following to say about their department head: Petra Jänichen is not only a mother of three, but also the mum of over 40 other young girls. She is a woman who puts her heart and soul into helping the children on the mat three times a week and enables us to discover gymnastics and grow beyond ourselves. She motivates and supports us wherever she can, regardless of whether we succeed or fail. She is always proud of us. She is there for everyone with care and an open ear at all times, contributing to a harmonious environment. It's great to have a coach who shares her free time with us with so much passion and dedication. Petra Jänichen therefore deserves to be honoured with the title "Salzlandfrau".

Seven new Salzlandfrauen: Public honouring by District Administrator Markus Bauer at the festive event in Schönebeck

Schönebeck/SLK. Seven more women from the district have been named "Salzlandfrauen" since Friday afternoon. At a public ceremony in the Dr. Tolberg Hall in Bad Salzelmen, they received the 2023 honorary award from District Administrator Markus Bauer for their extraordinary social commitment. "I congratulate you on today's award and thank you for your achievements. Salzlandfrauen deserve our special recognition and appreciation," said the District Administrator. He continued: "Without equality and voluntary work, we will not be able to strengthen social cohesion. After all, with our 2030 strategy for the future, we want to build a strong and smart Salzlandkreis, a residential, economic and scientific location with prospects."

The honorary title "Salzlandfrau" 2023 is awarded annually for special commitment to the common good in the areas of economy, society, social affairs, culture, sport and youth engagement. Nominations come from the general public. Since 2009, women in the Salzlandkreis district have been honoured in this way for special services. The Salzlandkreis district, the towns of Schönebeck, Aschersleben, Staßfurt and Bernburg with their equal opportunities officers, the Salzlandsparkasse and also the Salzlandküche GmbH are the organisers. Financial support was also provided this year by the municipal utilities of Schönebeck, Staßfurt and Bernburg and EMS Energie Mittelsachsen.Juliane Behrens and Vivian Anastasiu from the ensemble "9 O'Clock", musicians from the

Mitteldeutsche Kammerphilharmonie Schönebeck, provided the excellent musical accompaniment for the ceremony. As in previous years, the artist Margitta Liesenberg, who lives in Staßfurt, created the clay figures to honour the Salzland women.

Category: Young Commitment | Claudia Richter (Schönebeck)

Claudia Richter has been volunteering at the Rückenwind e.V. Schönebeck youth club "Future" for over 25 years. At the age of 14, she was already actively involved in the youth club's council and led a dance group. Although she has been affected by an illness for 20 years, she has continued her work at the Future youth club.

Claudia Richter supports the youth club staff in their daily work. She takes care of craft preparations and writes letters to parents. She also maintains the youth club's chronicle and creates videos about club life. At festivities, such as the Elbe Bathing Day in the town of Schönebeck, which has been held since 2001, Claudia Richter supports the activities offered by "Future" on site. She is always available as a contact person for the children and young people and, with her open and humorous manner, is a great asset to the youth club and to Rückenwind e. V. Schönebeck as a whole.

Claudia Richter is a member of the monitoring committee of the "Partnership for Democracy Schönebeck (Elbe)".

The young woman is also involved in the self-help group "Gemeinsam stark für Schicksalskinder" (Strong together for children of misfortune) and, as a source of ideas and through her voluntary work, has become the "face of the self-help group".An active member of the

Schönebeck Inclusion Network since 2017, she is also responsible for creating posters, flyers and questionnaires for the preparations for the annual action day on 5 May for the equality of people with disabilities. "Sport, games, fun in Schönebeck – everyone and everything included", the flyer that is also published on the city's website, is the result of her work. For the "Inclusion Meal/Food of Inclusion" campaign, she designed shopping lists and supermarket evaluation sheets, which were greatly enjoyed by the participating school groups at the time. And Claudia Richter, after appealing to the citizens of Schönebeck, has made it her mission to test and evaluate city bus routes for accessibility. Her

commitment to young people and people with disabilities is particularly close to her heart. She sees the greatest potential for the development of an inclusive life in our society in children and young people.

The prize was accepted on behalf of Claudia Richter's mother, who was unable to attend due to illness.

Category: Society | Sabine Krause (Schönebeck)

Sabine Krause was the head of a daycare centre in Schönebeck until last summer and has been enjoying her (un)retirement ever since. During the reunification period, Sabine Krause was an active member of

the "Elbenau Round Table" and worked in the Schönebeck Citizens' Committee. In 1998, she became a member of the "Village Renewal" working group. From 2009 to 2014, the independent Schönebeck resident also served as a volunteer on the city council.

Throughout all these years, Sabine Krause was committed to the welfare of the citizens of Schönebeck. She was extremely active in the preparations and celebrations for the 700th anniversary of Elbenau and the 250th anniversary of St. Pankratius Church in Elbenau, and was responsible for organising annual public events such as the Easter bonfire, children's carnival, lantern parade, St. Nicholas Day, sports and neighbourhood festivals. Thanks to her efforts, the residents of Elbenau have also been able to enjoy numerous bus trips and theatre visits.

Since 1982, Sabine Krause has also been actively involved in the "Elbenau Women's Sports Community". In 1991, she was one of the founding members of the Elbenau Sports Club and, after completing further training as a coach, took over the women's sports group, which she has been training weekly ever since. In recent months, Sabine Krause has now set up a children's sports group, which has been so well received that it needs to be expanded.

During her many years of voluntary work, Sabine Krause has always been an empathetic Schönebeck resident, always understanding and solution-oriented.

Category: Society | Andrea Welke (Schneidlingen)

As a member of the board since 2019, Andrea Welke has made a very special contribution to the highly successful work of the association "Hecklingen – gemeinsam Zukunft gestalten e.V." (Hecklingen – shaping the future together). She is part of a group that has set itself the task of improving the quality of life for young and old in their home town and shaping demographic change.

At the Halloween party, she hands out trick-or-treats to young and old alike in a fitting costume, hides Easter gifts in the park, makes bookworms for the Hecklingen ABC shooters at both schools, trains and advises young and old as a digital scout in the digital café, and brings people together at regular handicraft meetings. Not only does she put her heart into her work, she is also the driving force behind the association "Hecklingen – gemeinsam Zukunft gestalten e.V." (Hecklingen – shaping the future together). A perfectionist, her precision and skills have played a key role in enabling the association to acquire almost £180,000 in funding in the few years since it was founded.

The preparation of applications, the revision of submissions, contact with funding bodies and the preparation of accounts – all these tasks are organised, carried out and documented by Andrea Welke down to the smallest detail. This work provides a strong foundation for numerous successful projects: the creation of a multi-generational house with state-of-the-art kitchen and seminar technology, and the organisation of festivals and circus activities with children and for children in all districts of the town of Hecklingen. It

should also be mentioned that Andrea Welke is jointly responsible for the regular blood donation campaigns in the town.

Category: Culture | Helga Dornemann (Löderburg)

Helga Dornemann is a true institution in Staßfurt, and in particular in the district of Löderburg, according to the citation for the award: a connecting link, a doer, a female jack-of-all-trades, a driving force and always approachable. She has been the chairwoman of the local history association for decades and is committed to the association with all her energy and heart. She establishes contacts, organises celebrations, secures donations and advocates for all matters concerning the citizens in and around Löderburg.

Helga Dornemann maintains the local history museum with dedication and great attention to detail. She is, so to speak, the heart and soul of the museum, playing a key role in the design of the exhibition and looking after and entertaining groups of visitors. The historical classroom in the local history museum is a real gem and an absolute insider tip in the region. Her

commitment to her hometown is exemplary. For the town of Staßfurt, the Löderburg local history association is always a reliable partner when it comes to organising festivals or other events.

Category: Social Affairs | Angelika Fischer (Bernburg)

Angelika Fischer works at the Kanzler von Pfau Foundation hospice in Bernburg, accompanying people on their final journey. For over twelve years, she has been ensuring that the terminally ill and dying are not left alone. She supports people at the end of their lives, offering them empathy and unconditional acceptance. It is impressive how she gives the terminally ill and dying human closeness and enables them to enjoy the quality of life that is still achievable even in the final stages. Her actions are determined by her desire to allow those affected to retain their dignity until their last breath, regardless of religion, origin or worldview. She talks to them and their relatives about their fears and hopes and accompanies them as they say goodbye. In this way, Angelika Fischer ensures that the remaining time is as comfortable as possible.

Through her work, she has enabled many sick and dying people to live with dignity until the end, eased the difficult hours for their relatives and friends, and made it possible for them to say goodbye in familiar surroundings. Her commitment, even in difficult times, is particularly noteworthy. She was one of the few volunteer hospice workers who continued to provide sensitive support to seriously ill and dying people and their relatives during the pandemic. With social distancing rules in place during the coronavirus pandemic, her work was particularly difficult, but also particularly valuable. Her commitment is greatly appreciated by the relatives, who express their deep gratitude and appreciation to Angelika Fischer.

Category: Sport | Madlen Habedank (Biere)

Madlen Habedank has been a member of the sports club "Pädagogik Schönebeck e.V." for around 30 years and has been responsible for children's sports there for five years. Although she mainly takes care of organisational matters in the area of children's sports, such as dividing up the sports groups, processing applications and maintaining waiting lists due to high interest, she is also very keen to actively support the trainers in their work and to stand in for them when necessary.

The weekly sports lessons in the eight sports groups, in which children aged one to six can participate, are planned days in advance so that the youngest children can enjoy the sporting activities. There is great demand from parents and children who want to participate. Madlen Habedank strives to offer everyone a place in the individual sports groups. This is not her only voluntary work in the field of sport.

In her role as a member of the board of the fire brigade support association in Biere, Madlen Habedank also strengthens the organisational team of the "Beach on Fire" volleyball tournament.
This event has been held annually in July since 2018 at the "Pädagogik Schönebeck" beach centre at the Barby gravel pit and is known beyond the borders of Saxony-Anhalt. Not only beach volleyball players from the volunteer fire brigades in neighbouring towns come together, but also teams from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg. Madlen Habedank puts her heart and soul into the organisation, which begins ten months before each tournament with the search for sponsors and the submission of funding applications.

Her commitment is not limited to coordinating the games, but also includes mobilising many hard-working helpers who lend a hand wherever they can and also take care of the physical well-being of all those involved. The convivial get-together on the evening of the event, with bratwurst and music, is part of the programme and is also organised

by Madlen Habedank. Madlen Habedank is also involved in the association "Blaue Nasen hilft e.V." (Blue Noses Help), which supports seriously ill children and their families. In her spare time, she participates in fundraising activities and helps with typing campaigns.

Category: Lifetime achievement | Gisela Ewe (Aschersleben)

In 1990, Gisela Ewe was a founding member of the "Restoration and Preservation of the Historic City Fortifications of Aschersleben" association and took on the role of treasurer.

In 1991, she became a member of the Workers' Samaritan Federation, where she has been on the board since 1992. She initially served as treasurer and took on the role of deputy chair of the association in 1996.

She is an agricultural scientist and was committed to promoting gardening culture in Aschersleben. For this, she received the silver pin of honour from the Saxony-Anhalt Allotment Gardeners' Association in 2017. In 2011, she founded the "Aschersleben Tomato Garden" and, with a wide range of support, has since organised the annual "Aschersleben Tomato Days", an event that is even known in Australia, Chile and the USA. Since 2018, annual brochures on tomato varieties and breeding results have been published under her direction.

Despite illness, Gisela Ewe continues her voluntary work. In recent years, she has held several events in the reading café of the district library in Aschersleben and created topics for the radio station HBW under the heading "Bookmarks".

Her extensive commitment is also reflected in her church community, where she has been deputy chairwoman of the presbytery of the Reformed Church since 2022.

Salzland women 2020 were chosen in Bernburg on 8 March

On the morning of 8 March, District Administrator Markus Bauer honoured seven women for their exceptional commitment with the "Salzlandfrau" 2020 award at a public ceremony in the district town's Carl Maria von Weber Theatre. Women in the Salzland district have been recognised for their special achievements in this way since 2009. Former Minister of Justice of Saxony-Anhalt Prof Dr Angela Kolb-Janssen, member of the SPD parliamentary group and spokesperson for education, culture and equality, gave the welcoming address. The historian and initiator of the project FrauenOrte - Frauengeschichte in Sachsen-Anhalt, Dr Elke Stolze, dedicated her speech to the guests of the event to the important women who were born, lived or spent their twilight years in Saxony-Anhalt and who were politically, socially or in a special way involved either locally or in a sphere of activity outside Saxony-Anhalt. Pupils from the "Béla Bartók" district music school skilfully provided the musical framework for the event. As in previous years, the clay figurines honouring the Salzland women were made by Staßfurt-based artist Margitta Liesenberg. The 2020 award ceremony was organised by the Salzland district, the towns of Bernburg (Saale), Schönebeck (Elbe) and Staßfurt with their equal opportunities officers, Salzlandsparkasse and Salzlandküche GmbH. Financial support was also provided by Stadtwerke Schönebeck and Staßfurt and Erdgas Mittelsachsen GmbH.

Category: Society | Anja Ahrend-Krabiell (Cochstedt)

Anja Ahrend-Krabiell has been an active member for 22 years and is also a member of the marching band of the Cochstedt volunteer fire brigade.

Firefighter Ahrend-Krabiell completed numerous qualification courses at the Staßfurt Fire Service Technical Centre and the Heyrothsberge Institute for Fire and Disaster Protection. She is the first fire engine operator in the history of the Cochstedt fire brigade. She has also been the first children's warden in the Cochstedt fire brigade since 2009 and always has an open ear for the children during firefighting training or when they are spending their free time together.

The lyre is her instrument at numerous performances with the marching band. She passes on her skills and knowledge as an instructor on this instrument in the marching band.

Furthermore, Ms Ahrend-Krabiell has been organising blood donation campaigns up to four times a year for many years and is also responsible for catering for the blood donors.

Anja Ahrend-Krabiell carries out these voluntary tasks alongside her work as a sales assistant and deputy store manager at a DIY store, working in two shifts.

Category: Society | Heidemarie Hoffmann (Hecklingen)

Sabine Worch joined the youth fire brigade in Staßfurt at the age of 11. At the age of 16, she began training as a firefighter and is not afraid of the technical challenges in Staßfurt's largest local fire brigade. She drives the fire engines, operates the turntable ladder and also handles all the other technical equipment.

The children's fire brigade was founded in 2010 under the leadership of Sabine Worch to counteract the ageing of the Staßfurt fire brigade. From the very beginning, the new Salzland woman Worch knew how to get children between the ages of 6 and 10 interested in the work of the fire brigade. To ensure that the children also have fun, the programme includes day trips and camps lasting several days.

When the fire brigade was looking for a successor to the outgoing youth officer in 2015, Sabine Worch did not have to be asked for long. As youth warden, she has been a member of the extended fire brigade management team ever since and has an important say in the local Staßfurt fire brigade. In order to fulfil her challenging voluntary work, she is continuously completing the necessary qualifications. This year, she will be training to become a manager so that she can lead units or entire operations on her own responsibility.

If you add it up, Sabine Worch volunteered 136.5 hours last year for the training and emergency services within the emergency services department alone, mostly unplanned and at various times of the day and night.

But she also stands her ground at work, as a curative education nurse in a children's centre and as a violence protection officer.

Category: Social affairs | Adelheid Krüger (Schönebeck)

Adelheid Krüger has been Chairwoman of the Grünewalde branch of the Volkssolidarität Schönebeck since 2000. True to the Volkssolidarität motto "With each other - for each other", Mrs Krüger is committed to the interests of her fellow human beings.

In addition to numerous voluntary activities in the preparation and organisation of joint events, Mrs Krüger is always a contact person and helper in the service of Volkssolidarität for older people, often into the evening hours. It is therefore important to her to help older people out of their loneliness in their everyday lives.

This is how socialising is lived in the Grünewalde local group, which currently has 22 members. The members meet at various weekly events, often at Mrs Krüger's home, since the usual meeting place for local group members was closed in 2015. As some members are unable to come alone for health reasons, Adelheid Krüger picks them up in her private car and takes them home again.

Thanks to Mrs Krüger's commitment, social gatherings with members of the Frohse local group take place regularly. The very popular spring, summer, autumn and Christmas parties have become a good tradition. Here, too, Mrs Krüger is happy to pass on her skills and experience, which everyone is happy to draw on.

Note: As Mrs Krüger was unable to attend the award ceremony, Angela Herzog accepted the prize on her behalf.

Category: Culture | Angela Roskoden (Staßfurt)

Angela Roskoden has been a member of the board of the Jugendblasorchester Staßfurt e. V. (JBO) since she joined in 2006. She has been the organisation's chairwoman since 2016.

Angela Roskoden is primarily involved in organisational matters, without which a functioning association would not be possible. This includes concert planning, responding to performance requests, organising transporters to transport the musicians and their instruments to the performance venues, scanning new sets of sheet music and scores for the music archive and compiling the programme folders for the musicians.

In addition to regularly organising the board meetings, Ms Roskoden accompanies her musicians to all concerts and performances. She always has an open ear for all age groups, from ten to 67 years old, and puts her heart and soul into her "orchestra family". In other words: she can't do without the orchestra, and the musicians can't do without Mrs Roskoden.

Category: Culture | Elke Naumann (Bernburg)

Since 2013, the town of Bernburg (Saale) has had one more gem - the Kunsthalle, thanks to the personal commitment to her native town and private funds of the artist Erika Magdalinski. The Museum Schloss Bernburg and the town run the Kunsthalle. But even a publicly run institution needs voluntary commitment in order to become rooted in the population and continue to be filled with life.

Elke Naumann supported and personally promoted the idea of founding an association to promote the Kunsthalle and bring together art-loving Bernburg residents and visitors from the very beginning. In 2015, interested supporters founded the association "Freundeskreis Kunsthalle Bernburg e. V.". Elke Naumann is a founding member and has been an active board member ever since.

The purpose of the organisation is to promote art and culture. Elke Naumann is its conscientious treasurer. However, her commitment extends far beyond this, from raising funds and donations to personal involvement in events. She supervises special and information events, organised and staged the theatre project Salt and Earth as part of the exhibition, took over the direction and procured costumes. She also organises and accompanies educational trips for the association.

When the first refugees were accommodated in Bernburg in 2015/2016, Mrs Naumann, who had worked as a teacher in her professional life, thought about how she could get personally involved. She taught the refugees the German language several times a week on her own. At the same time, she familiarised them with the culture of our country by taking them to cultural institutions in Bernburg. She organised discounted or free admission or sometimes even covered the costs herself. In 2018, Mrs Naumann then gave German courses through a Bernburg education provider and prepared the refugees for the language proficiency test.

A project at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences took Ms Naumann to South Africa for four weeks in 2009/2010 together with architecture students to set up a school there. During this time, she taught South African children with great commitment and inventiveness. Elke Naumann still speaks enthusiastically and gratefully about this today.

Category: Sport | Sonja Backmann (Aschersleben)

Sonja Backmann has been working as a coach and trainer for 40 years. She has trained numerous athletes, from kindergarten children to high school graduates, and turned them into good, high-performing swimmers. She always had an open ear for the problems of her protégés.

From 1972 to 1998, Mrs Backmann was involved in sports swimming and taught children how to swim at the Aschersleben municipal swimming pool. After its closure, she went to the swimming pool in Stassfurt, where she trained once a week. It was only when the new Ballhaus was built in 2003 that it was possible to train in Aschersleben again.

The long-serving trainer and coach at the club not only fulfils her role there, but also away from the poolside. She organises the swimming competitions at the Salzland district children's and youth games and the traditional family swimming event at Christmas. Sonja Backmann makes a significant contribution to the success.

Category: Lifetime achievement | Christel Wiebach (Bernburg)

Christel Wiebach has been a volunteer for the multiple sclerosis self-help group for 30 years. Although she is affected by the disease herself, she still supports the group's work with a great deal of strength and energy.

Mrs Wiebach is also a member of the Patient Advisory Board of the German Multiple Sclerosis Society of Saxony-Anhalt. She also represents the self-help group here and regularly takes part in further training courses. She passes on the knowledge she acquires in these training courses to the self-help group and also to those seeking counselling.

She organises events with great commitment to create more acceptance for the disease in the public sphere. Christel Wiebach conducts counselling and information sessions with new patients in the hospital and at home and is always available to provide advice and support.

Salzland women 2019 were chosen in Staßfurt on 8 March

On the afternoon of 8 March, seven women were honoured for their exceptional commitment with the "Salzlandfrau" award at a public ceremony in the Salzlandtheater Staßfurt.

Since 2009, this honorary award has honoured women who have rendered outstanding services to the Salzland district. This year for the first time in the category "Young Commitment", as young women are also making exemplary contributions to our society.

The organisers would like to take this opportunity to express their sincere thanks for the extremely large number of nominations, which were accompanied by newspaper articles, photos and signature lists.

The 2019 award ceremony was organised by the Salzlandkreis district, the towns of Bernburg (Saale), Schönebeck (Elbe) and Staßfurt with their equal opportunities officers, Salzlandsparkasse and Salzlandküche GmbH. Financial support was also provided by Stadtwerke Schönebeck GmbH, Stadtwerke Staßfurt GmbH and Erdgas Mittelsachsen GmbH, REMONDIS Thermische Abfallverwertung GmbH Staßfurt, MINERALplus GmbH Staßfurt and MVV Umwelt Asset GmbH.

District Administrator Markus Bauer was once again the patron of the event.

This year, Susi Brand from MDR Saxony-Anhalt was invited to host the event. She skilfully contributed to the success of the festive event with plenty of humour and charm.

Caroline Vongrieß, journalist, author and editorial director of the magazine "Zeit für Sachsen-Anhalt", gave the speech to the women and guests at the event. She paid tribute to the women of the Salzland district and recognised their work, which was always "competent, unpretentious, self-confident and self-evident".

For the "Salzland Woman" 2009 in the "Lifetime Achievement" category, Ramona Kleinfeld, who was unable to attend due to illness and is a volunteer with the German Red Cross and the water rescue service in Bernburg, the presenter recorded the award on stage with her mobile phone.

Hubertus von Krosigk and Lucia Keller from the Theatrum Schloss Hohenerxleben ensemble provided an excellent musical backdrop to the afternoon in the Salzland Theatre.

As in previous years, the artist Margitta Liesenberg, who lives in Staßfurt, once again made the clay figures to honour the Salzland women.

Category: Young Commitment | Josephine Radmer (Biere)

Josephine Radmer has been a member of the Biere Carnival Club since she was six years old. With extraordinary talent, she formed a dance group with three other girls and women from the very beginning, which still provides entertainment today as the "Crazy Girls". The "Crazy Girls" are now known far beyond the borders of the Salzland district and skilfully lift the hearts of the audience with their extraordinary dance routines.

Josephine Radmer has been arranging the programme for the Bier Carnival Club's annual events on a voluntary basis for many years. Since 2010, it has been her job to lead the five dance groups of the Bier Carnival Club. She designs all the choreographies and then rehearses the realisation with the dance groups with a great deal of diligence and enthusiasm right up to the annual Prunksitzung.

The new young "Salzlandfrau" is active in the association's work throughout the year, as the programme cannot be created overnight. Many volunteer hours and days are needed. She manages to do extraordinary work as a trainer for the individual dance groups once or twice a week outside of the carnival season, and even three to four times a week during the season. This is in addition to her responsibilities as a mother and wife, her professional work in a bank and her work in the accounts department of her husband's company.

In 2012, Josephine Radmer was honoured with the Lerchenfeld Prize from the secondary school of the same name in Schönebeck (Elbe) for her outstanding and dedicated work with the dance groups in Biere and the intensive and successful collaboration between the "Crazy Girls" and the Schönebeck rhönrad team. Thanks to their commitment, numerous joint performances, such as at the Schönebeck Sports Night, the Schönebeck Sportsmen's Ball and the Schönebeck Bierer Bergfest, the Bollenfest and the Festival of Encounter in Calbe, as well as at other events in and outside Saxony-Anhalt, were successfully organised.

Salzlandfrau Radmer has also been a permanent member of the instructor team at the peace camp in Schönebeck since 2016 and is responsible for the dance project. Under her guidance, interested people are familiarised with the basics of dances from all over the world and within a few days are prepared to present a performance at the closing event of the peace camp.

Category: Society | Sabine Worch (Staßfurt)

Sabine Worch joined the youth fire brigade in Staßfurt at the age of 11. At the age of 16, she began training as a firefighter and is not afraid of the technical challenges in Staßfurt's largest local fire brigade. She drives the fire engines, operates the turntable ladder and also handles all the other technical equipment.

The children's fire brigade was founded in 2010 under the leadership of Sabine Worch to counteract the ageing of the Staßfurt fire brigade. From the very beginning, the new Salzland woman Worch knew how to get children between the ages of 6 and 10 interested in the work of the fire brigade. To ensure that the children also have fun, the programme includes day trips and camps lasting several days.

When the fire brigade was looking for a successor to the outgoing youth officer in 2015, Sabine Worch did not have to be asked for long. As youth warden, she has been a member of the extended fire brigade management team ever since and has an important say in the local Staßfurt fire brigade. In order to fulfil her challenging voluntary work, she is continuously completing the necessary qualifications. This year, she will be training to become a manager so that she can lead units or entire operations on her own responsibility.

If you add it up, Sabine Worch volunteered 136.5 hours last year for the training and emergency services within the emergency services department alone, mostly unplanned and at various times of the day and night.

But she also stands her ground at work, as a curative education nurse in a children's centre and as a violence protection officer.

Category: Society | Martina Ede (Eickendorf)

Martina Ede has been a member of the German Red Cross in Saxony-Anhalt for 21 years. Her path to this large and important organisation here in the region is an amusing one. As a 16-year-old, she took part in a DRK traffic project day where the association advertised that members could get a first aid course for their driving licence for free. It was hard to pass up an offer like that.

But Martina Ede stayed with the DRK much longer than just until she got her driving licence, not just as a member on paper, but as an active volunteer. Over the years, she has put her heart and soul into various positions at the DRK in Schönebeck. She was group leader, head of the emergency medical services, district team leader for the specialised services of care, emergency medical services, technology and safety, the rescue dog team and the crisis intervention team. The floods of 2013 were a major operation: under Martina Ede's leadership, a large number of helpers were coordinated, evacuations were organised and, at the same time, supplies were ensured for numerous emergency services in the Schönebeck area.

The Salzland Woman 2019 should be particularly emphasised for her tremendous ability to draw strength from crisis situations. This makes her an irreplaceable link for the DRK's disaster and civil defence services. However, this character trait was also demonstrated in another serious situation. Unfortunately, the Schönebeck district organisation had to file for insolvency last year and was dissolved. Martina Ede, however, refused to accept that the Red Cross would disappear from this region and, together with other committed volunteers, founded a local Red Cross association, of which she is now the chairperson. In doing so, she takes on tasks on a voluntary basis - without pay, without consideration - that were previously the responsibility of a full-time management team.

She has also been an active member of the Schwarz volunteer fire brigade for many years. As an engine driver, she supports her comrades in operations. She is also active as chairwoman of the Schwarz fire brigade's support association and promotes local fire safety.

Martina Ede lives and breathes volunteering. Every day, she puts the well-being of others above her own. Her list of voluntary activities is huge, and remarkably, she is only 36 years old.

Category: Social affairs | Adelheid Liesecke (Schönebeck)

For many years, Adelheid Liesecke has been a remarkable volunteer for the senior citizens in the "Haus Mechthild" nursing home run by Diakonieverein Heimverbund Burghof e.V.. Her attentive and reliable behaviour makes her an extremely valuable asset for both the residents and the nursing staff.

A chat, a walk - Adelheid Liesecke always has time for the residents. She listens to their minor or major concerns and tries to find a solution in collaboration with the nursing staff. With her empathy and time, she gives the people in the care home a bit of quality of life, as they are often alone or have few contacts.

Adelheid Liesecke also supports the volunteers from other homes of the Diakonieverein Heimverbund Burghof e.V. in providing end-of-life care. Caring for the dying of an elderly or sick person is not an easy task. On the contrary, it is a great emotional challenge. Nevertheless, Salzlandfrau Liesecke takes on this task - voluntarily and unpaid.

In order to be able to carry out her voluntary work in dealing with the dying in a qualified manner, she not only takes part in regular seminars at the care facility, but also in further training events lasting several days in the state capital.

Category: Culture | Karin Keller (Klein Rosenburg)

Karin Keller has been chairwoman of the Elbe-Saale-Winkel 193 e.V. Klein Rosenburg castle and heritage association since 2009. Thanks to her voluntary work, the renovation of the Rosenburg tower was made possible with funding from the Leader programme in collaboration with the town of Barby.

A short time later, with the help of social organisations and the Groß Rosenburg volunteer fire brigade, a children's playground was inaugurated on the castle grounds, which has been delighting young visitors ever since.

Another of New Salzlandfrau Keller's concerns was the establishment of a wedding room at Rosenburg Castle. She spoke to sponsors and the Barby town council and it became possible for couples to say "I do" in the wedding room.

One of Mrs Keller's great passions is culture. Thanks to her commitment, classical instruments can be heard in the concert pit on warm summer days. For some time now, lovers of Irish folk music have been getting their money's worth in the castle cellar and musicians play Christmas melodies on their trumpets during the castle Christmas.

Category: Sport | Sylvia Breitenstein (Förderstedt)

Sylvia Breitenstein lives for the sport of handball. She has been a coach and secretary of HC Salzland 06 e.V. for many years. As a former active handball player, the training of young players is particularly close to her heart. She coaches the "Minis", the club's youngest handball players. Sylvia Kleinfeld also supports the young female athletes across all age groups, including the women's groups.

She has the necessary coaching licences and is continuing her education. She gained experience as assistant coach of the HC Salzland women's 1st team, which played in the 3rd Bundesliga from 2011 to 2013. Since last season, she has been coaching the 1st women's team in the Saxony-Anhalt League.

Many of today's established players from all over central Germany took their first steps in handball under the guidance of Salzlandfrau Breitenstein. Through her commitment to recreational sport and the training of young players, she makes a significant contribution to the quality of life and health of young people. At the same time, she teaches fairness and tolerance, giving young people a positive view of the world.

Category: Lifetime achievement | Ramona Kleinfeld (Bernburg)

The German Red Cross has been an important anchor in Ramona Kleinfeld's life for many years. She has been a member of the DRK-Kreisverband Bernburg e.V. for 26 years now, and the members call her the "good soul" for good reason. She is also affectionately known as "mum". She is also an active helper at the Bernburg water rescue organisation.

As the first point of contact at the swimming pool, Ramona Kleinfeld looks after the needs of children, young people and adults on Tuesday evenings during the season from September to May. Simply being there for everyone, without asking where you come from, in keeping with the ideals of the German Red Cross, she is available for everyone.

Visitors who come to the swimming pool or those who are interested in learning to swim or actively swimming with the water rescue service or just need some information are often told: "Go and see Ramona, that's our mum".

Whether it's a cup of coffee for the trainers, documents for the swimming courses, membership applications, information about the water rescue service and the German Red Cross, a comforting word or simply a new ticket for the swimming pool - Ramona Kleinfeld has everything ready and is always on hand. Even something sweet as a consolation or reward for the children after the training session is a must.

In summer, when the outdoor season starts, she is always involved in the water rescue activities. Here she actively helps with the preparations for all events. Whether it's preparing food for helpers or the necessary shopping, the annual holiday camp, organising the summer festival or the traditional Christmas party - she is an indispensable personality and helper everywhere.

Kleinfeld is happy to spend countless hours volunteering for the water rescue organisation and the German Red Cross with great dedication.

At the annual holiday camp on the island of Rügen, Ramona Kleinfeld takes a holiday from home to be a helper in all matters for the 40 or so children and twelve adults.

"Salzlandfrauen 2018" honour award ceremony in Schönebeck on the occasion of International Women's Day

"Your exemplary commitment is a particularly great gift for us. I would like to thank you for making our Salzland district so liveable and lovable," says District Administrator Bauer in his welcoming address at the "Salzlandfrau" award ceremony. As patron, he recognised the important commitment of women in the region on the occasion of International Women's Day and said of the award winners: "You deserve our thanks for your perseverance, for your creativity, for your prudence and reliability, for your passion and empathy, for all your talents and skills that you bring to your voluntary work."

This is the tenth time that the title "Salzlandfrau" has been awarded to women who have rendered outstanding services to the Salzland district. This year, the public ceremony honouring a total of seven Salzland women in the categories of politics, social affairs, sport, lifetime achievement and culture took place on the afternoon before International Women's Day. The Dr Tolberg Hall in the Solepark Schönebeck-Salzelmen was filled to capacity for the occasion.

The 2018 award ceremony is organised by the Salzland district and the towns of Bernburg (Saale), Schönebeck (Elbe) and Staßfurt with their equal opportunities officers, Salzlandsparkasse, Salzlandküche GmbH and Volksküche Aschersleben/Staßfurt GmbH. Financial support was also provided by Stadtwerke Schönebeck GmbH, Stadtwerke Staßfurt GmbH and Erdgas Mittelsachsen GmbH. Representatives of all the institutions and companies were present on stage to congratulate the winners.

The guest speakers were the Minister for Labour, Social Affairs and Integration of Saxony-Anhalt, Petra Grimm-Benne, and the State Commissioner for Women's and Equal Opportunities Policy, Dr Andrea Blumtritt.

The pupils of the "Béla Bartók" district music school in Schönebeck demonstrated their special talent. Under the direction of Sandra Preuß, they wowed the audience with their originality and skill. The artist Margitta Liesenberg, who lives in Staßfurt, had made the clay figures in advance, which were presented to the "Salzlandfrauen". The stylised bodies each hold an object in their hands that symbolises the respective honorary position. Each clay sculpture is unique and is intended to express appreciation for the services rendered.

Category: Politics | Rita Föhse (Staßfurt)

Mrs Föhse was a member of the Staßfurt city council for several years, campaigning in particular for workers' rights and equality for women. Her work in the SPD organisation AFA, in which she campaigns for employee issues, pay equity and a stable pension policy, is also of particular importance. Rita Föhse is a founding member of the "Green Ladies" at the AMEOS Clinic and a member of the "White Ring". She has been a member of the Staßfurt volunteer fire brigade for 34 years. She is involved in the regional association of allotment gardeners in Staßfurt. Ms Föhse is also active in the theatre support association of the Salzlandtheater Staßfurt and the Staßfurt Volkssolidarität volunteer group.

Category: Society | Arnhild Peters (Bernburg)

Mrs Peters has been closely associated with the Protestant parish of Talstadt Bernburg for many years. She has been a member of the organ support group, of which she is a co-founder, for more than eight years. As a board member of the support group, she is actively committed to the installation of a Röver organ in Bernburg's Marienkirche and supports the project by raising funds through the organisation of events. Mrs Peters is also a member of the parish council and regularly performs church services there.

Mrs Peters looks after two Armenian-Yazidi asylum seeker families who became parishioners with their children several years ago and thus contributes to the integration of refugees in Bernburg. She advises the families on everyday matters and also teaches them the language. Mrs Peters is enabling one of the daughters of the Armenian-Yazidi families to train as a veterinary assistant in her veterinary practice.

Mrs Peters has supported the "Kids für alle Fälle e. V." association in Bernburg financially for many years.

Category: Culture | Jutta Röseler (Glinde)

Jutta Röseler has been actively campaigning for the preservation and restoration of intact natural and river landscapes in Saxony-Anhalt since 1993 and organises an annual "Elbe-Saale-Camp" on the Elbe meadows in Barby.

During the years of organising this event, Ms Röseler, as chairwoman of the association "Flussregenpfeifer" e.V., was able to inspire countless people with her ideas and persuade them to support and help build an intact natural and river landscape. She has been the spokesperson for the citizens' initiative "Pro Elbe" since 2001.

Mrs Röseler was appointed to the advisory committee by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure as an expert in her field during the development of the overall "Elbe" concept and played a key role in taking nature conservation and environmental protection concerns into account. Thanks to her commitment, among other things, the preservation of river landscapes was prioritised for the first time over maintaining certain fairway depths.

As an active Protestant parishioner, Mrs Röseler is actively involved in parish life in the Barby parish area. She is a member of the discussion group and organises Elbe church services.

Mrs Röseler was a member of the district councils of the old district and the Salzland district. She is a councillor for the town of Barby.

Category: Social affairs | Hella Richter (Schönebeck)

Mrs Richter has been a member of the Schönebeck regional group of the German Parkinson's Association since 1994 and has chaired the group since 2004. Affected by the disease herself, she organises a variety of events and conducts advice and information sessions. She currently looks after 50 people from the Salzlandkreis and Jerichower Land regions. As chairwoman of the Schönebeck regional group, she regularly takes part in further training events for the regional group leaders from Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony and conscientiously completes work for the German Parkinson's Association on time.

Mrs Richter has been an active member of the Schönebeck (Elbe) Seniors' Council for many years.

Category: Social affairs | Christel Görmer (Atzendorf)

Mrs Görmer has been a member of the volunteer fire brigade in her home town of Atzendorf for 30 years. She currently holds the position of treasurer. As deputy chairwoman, she has been organising the events of the Volkssolidarität for 25 years. She writes the chronicle and programme director of the cultural group "Seven Teens". She has been an active member of the Staßfurt Seniors' Advisory Council for five years and is an energetic advocate for the interests of older residents. She has been an exemplary member of the Staßfurt network "Senior-friendly AMEOS-Klinikum Staßfurt" since the network was founded in 2014.

Category: Sport | Brigitte Brock (Schönebeck)

Brigitte Brock has been a volunteer coach in the gymnastics department of the Union 1861 Schönebeck sports club for 36 years. Three times a week, Mrs Brock looks after up to 76 children and young people at the club and, at the age of 73, even performs gymnastics herself. It is thanks to Mrs Brock that the young athletes have been able to achieve numerous successes, including at the state championships. She regularly takes part in further training courses.

Category: Lifetime achievement | Hilde Johann (Calbe)

Mrs Johann has been volunteering for the well-being of the members of the Protestant parish in Calbe for decades. The annual co-organisation of the anniversary confirmation has been in the hands of the 83-year-old for many years. Mrs Johann collects the parish contribution and delivers the parish newsletters and invitations almost every day, whatever the weather.

Mrs Johann has been very active in the women's circle of the parish for many decades and also helps here where she can. She has sung in the Schönebeck choir and in the parish singing group for many decades, because the musical organisation of church services and concerts is simply part of her life. Performances in hospitals and nursing homes are a matter close to her heart, especially in the run-up to Christmas.

Mrs Johann's help is also appreciated by people who are no longer able to take part in everyday life. For many years, Mrs Johann has taken care of people in need of care as a matter of course, doing the little shopping and always having a kind word.

Ten "Salzland women" were honoured in Bernburg on International Women's Day

On the afternoon of 8 March 2017, ten women were honoured for their exceptional commitment at a public ceremony in the Carl Maria von Weber Theatre in Bernburg with the "Salzlandfrau" 2017 award.

The honour award has been presented annually since 2009 and is intended to honour women who have rendered outstanding services to the Salzland district. A total of 24 nominations were submitted in advance.

The organisers would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for submitting their proposals, which were accompanied by newspaper articles, photos and signature lists.

The 2017 award ceremony was organised by the Salzland district and the towns of Bernburg (Saale), Schönebeck (Elbe) and Staßfurt with their equal opportunities officers, Salzlandsparkasse, RiRo Staßfurter Speiseservice GmbH and Volksküche Aschersleben/Staßfurt GmbH. Financial support was also provided by Stadtwerke Schönebeck GmbH, Stadtwerke Staßfurt GmbH and Erdgas Mittelsachsen GmbH.

District Administrator Markus Bauer was the patron of the 2017 award ceremony. At this year's event, the organisers were able to secure Anne-Marie Keding, Minister for Justice and Equality of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, as a guest speaker.

In his welcoming address, District Administrator Bauer made it clear that "volunteering benefits the general public and brings communities together. It creates social networks of support and solidarity, builds trust, gives people security, support and a sense of security. At the same time, this commitment is also an indispensable prerequisite for living democracy and human coexistence." At the same time, he encouraged people to get involved: "Anyone who gets involved in a good cause gains understanding, courage and empathy.

Ms Regina Stein, Equal Opportunities Officer for the town of Bernburg (Saale), hosted the programme for the event. The musical programme was excellently performed by the Bernburg Music School. The clay figurines that the 2017 honour award winners received were made by Staßfurt-based artist Margitta Liesenberg.

Category: Economy | Carmen Neugebauer-Zimmermann (Staßfurt)

Mrs Neugebauer-Zimmermann has been self-employed since 24 February 1992 with "Haarstudio Beauty & Wellness Carmen Neugebauer" in Staßfurt and celebrated her 25th business anniversary in February 2017. During the time she has been self-employed, she has always employed between 9 and 15 staff and trained a total of 59 apprentices, 40 of whom have been taken on as employees.

Mrs Neugebauer-Zimmermann has held the title of master hairdresser for 26 years.

From 1994 to 1999, she competed for Saxony-Anhalt in the hairdressers' guild's "Schau-Frisieren" competition and won the title of vice state champion. She and her colleagues also took part in numerous other competitions of this kind and won 1st and 2nd places.

Ms Neugebauer-Zimmermann also contributed to the cultural enrichment of the town of Staßfurt by organising two "Beauty Balls" in 2000 and 2001, which were attended by 100 to 140 citizens.

Mrs Neugebauer-Zimmermann became head of the hairdressers' guild 17 years ago and joined the board of the district craftsmen's association 7 years ago. She has been a member of the Berlin Marketing Club for six years and a member of both the trade association and the Staßfurt Theatre Promotion Association for 16 years and has been in charge of the "Staßfurt Salt Fairy" since 2010.

In January 2016, Mrs Neugebauer-Zimmermann founded the Friseur-Gilde e.V. Staßfurt, which will be transformed into the Handels-Handwerker-Gilde this year, as there is great interest from business people in the region in joining this guild. The aim of the Tradesmen's Guild is to strengthen the cohesion of business people in the region.

Category: Politics | Marlies Bey (Güsten)

Mrs Bey has been a member of the CDU since 1990 and chairwoman of the Güsten local branch since 2004. This means that she has now been active as a councillor in political, social and community areas in her home town for an uninterrupted 25 years.

For her, this ongoing mandate is a vocation with heart and soul. She often puts private matters to one side in order to achieve something for the good of her home town.

As deputy chairwoman of the city council, she often has the goal in mind and has the gift of bringing everyone together to achieve this goal. Here she can draw on her wealth of experience from the last 25 years.

From 2010 to 2014, Ms Bey was a member of the local council and actively worked on the committee for schools and daycare centres. For many years, she has also been a member of the culture, public order and social committee of the town of Güsten and its chairwoman. Here, the further development of the educational landscape of our town and its districts is particularly close to her heart.

Mrs Bey was also a member of the district council of the former district of Bernburg.

She was involved in securing the secondary school site in Güsten from the outset and also used her political position to secure the privatisation project.

Her great commitment to creating cultural highlights for the citizens is reflected in the "Festival of Clubs", which has been taking place for many years. She was instrumental in revitalising this festival. She was responsible for its organisation and implementation. In addition, she often has a stall at the annual Christmas market to enrich the festival.

Mrs Bey was a co-initiator and founding member of the local history association "Ränzelstecher" Güsten/Osmarsleben and has been involved in one of the working groups for many years. Mrs Bey was also involved in the establishment of the Güsten local history room. Furthermore, Mrs Bey was a volunteer at the Volkssolidarität in Staßfurt until 2011 and spent many volunteer hours looking after elderly citizens at the Volkssolidarität Güsten meeting centre.

Mrs Bey has been a member of the parish council of the Protestant parish of Güsten for over 30 years.

Category: Society | Kati Melswich (Giersleben)

As a volunteer bus driver, Ms Melswich has been driving one of two mobility buses since 2015, which were made available to the school support association of the "Wippertal" primary school for school transport by the Saale-Wipper education and integration company with the help of a funding model.

They and two other drivers use the Mercedes buses to ensure that primary school children from Plötzkau, Schackenthal, Schierstedt, Warmsdorf, Güsten, Amesdorf, Neundorf and Osmarsleben can learn together with their peers at the primary school in Giersleben.

As these buses can only be driven with a passenger transport licence for local public transport, Ms Melswich quickly obtained this licence in her free time in order to secure the driving service. Since then, she has volunteered to drive numerous buses with dedication and reliability. She is extremely popular with the children, providing comfort and sometimes putting her foot down.

She also picks up some of the senior citizens from the local branch of the Volkssolidarität Giersleben organisation directly from their homes by bus, as otherwise mobility would not be guaranteed, especially in rural areas.

Mrs Melswich has been the section leader for men's football for many years. As part of the extended board of SV-Grün-Weiß Giersleben, she can often be found on the sports field. She also plays an exemplary role in other sporting events, such as the Solvay Cup.

Category: Social Affairs | Gudrun Schedler, Eva-Maria Scherf, Heidelinde Gebhardt, Regina Heymann (Schönebeck)

Mrs Schedler, Mrs Scherf, Mrs Gebhardt and Mrs Heymann are women who have been volunteering as "Green Ladies" at the AMEOS Klinikum Schönebeck for many years in an extraordinarily remarkable way and whose attentive, trustworthy, tactful and discreet work is an invaluable asset to the patients undergoing treatment there.

They see themselves as assistants in the care process, whose work focuses on human care for the sick. In addition to the high level of personal commitment that is essential for such a job, the consistency and stringent administration of their work must be emphasised.

They work in an organised and coordinated manner, regularly take part in further training for volunteers as well as various events at the hospital and externally, contribute to image building and the acquisition of further "Green Ladies and Gentlemen", network their project in local structures and politics and grow into other social institutions in the region. They visit the patients on their respective wards for around five hours a week and attend to their personal concerns.

True to the motto "A pat or a chat is like good medicine", they enquire about the well-being of the patients. They not only have conversations, but also run small errands. They accompany patients on walks and also mediate in problems with the authorities.

They also help when it comes to care during illness, living in old age or when loneliness arises by establishing contact with the human and dementia flat-sharing community, specialised outpatient palliative care, self-help groups and other social networks in Schönebeck (Elbe).

Thanks to this extremely successful and continuous voluntary work, the "Green Ladies" have become an absolute asset, supporting the hospital staff to the highest degree in the care of their patients.

Category: Culture | Allegonda van de Merwe (Biendorf)

Mrs van de Merwe is Dutch and moved to Biendorf with her family in 2005.

She proved her spontaneity with the purchase of the Bernburg cinema. Her love for the cinema's unique "art deco interior design" saved the building. As a result, there was still an active and attractive cinema offering in Bernburg.

Ms van de Merwe proved that it is possible to be successful in the Bernburg region with a cinema concept adapted to the circumstances. Furthermore, the acquisition of new digital projection technology has laid a further foundation stone for the long-term preservation of the cinema, which has been acknowledged by rising visitor numbers. In addition to the cultural enrichment of the town of Bernburg, five jobs have been saved.

As the cinema owner, Mrs van de Merwe also actively supports the DRK's "BLUT+JUNG" blood donation campaign. She makes the cinema available for this donation campaign and also donates a cinema voucher for every donor. With her contribution to blood donation, she shows solidarity with people who are dependent on blood and creates an additional incentive to donate blood.

In 2005, the Biendorf Castle and park were purchased by the van de Merwe family and transformed into a "first-class gem".

Since then, Biendorf Castle has been restored to its former splendour and is open to visitors. The castle contains a museum, which was set up by the family. 190,000 specimens from 150 different collections, such as the largest collection of foxgloves in the world, can be found there.

In addition to marketing the castle and the Bernburg cinema, Ms van de Merwe is also involved in marketing the Bernburg region to tourists. Because she thinks in terms of the common good, she looks for platforms to realise her goals. She has found a platform in her work on the IHK tourism committee. Here, she is committed to developing the best possible framework conditions for tourism. In recognising and marketing global trends in good time, she is an information carrier for the region. For this reason, her involvement in various associations, such as the "Historische Häuser und Gärten Sachsen-Anhalt" e.V. association and the "Frauen wissen mehr ..." women's business initiative, plays a major role. She is actively and consistently committed to marketing the Bernburg region.

Category: Sport | Annette Linke (Plötzky)

Mrs Linke moved from Hanover to Plötzky with her two young children in 1990 for love. In Plöztky, she initially became involved in the existing sports club SV Eintracht 62 e.V., where she was elected to the board of directors for women's and children's sports and also served as chairwoman for a time.

She also formed gymnastics and dance groups for children of different age groups, which were very popular. Up to 100 enthusiastic children came together in six dance groups, with whom she completed many training sessions and for whom she developed choreographies and procured costumes in her free time. She was also able to recruit fellow dancers so that the circle of interested dancing children could be maintained in the following years.

The crowning glory of her efforts were the children's dance festivals, which she organised together with the trainers and helping women she recruited, as well as the many public performances by the children at local festivals and other events that took place far beyond the borders of Plötzky and the surrounding communities.

She also set up an aerobics/gymnastics group, which was open not only to women from Plötzky but also to women from other towns, as well as a women's dance group. In order to manage all the associated activities, she looked for and found fellow campaigners who trained as exercise instructors and then also took over sports groups on a voluntary basis. She attended well over 50 courses and training programmes to train these women and for her own further training.

In 2000, Mrs Linke founded the "Fit and More Sport- und Freizeitverein Plötzky 91 e.V.", of which she is a board member.

She was able to recruit six more trainers, who today keep the 107 active members from Plötzky and the surrounding area moving in eight groups with programmes such as aerobics, health-oriented sports, children's and senior gymnastics, line dancing, table tennis and walking.

Every year, Mrs Linke draws up a leisure plan with many events, including a four-day women's sports trip, which has been travelling to interesting places in Germany and abroad since 1996.

Through her voluntary work, Mrs Linke has not only made an invaluable contribution to the establishment of popular sport in her home town, especially for women and children, but has also played a decisive role in promoting togetherness in the club and in the local community.

Category: Lifetime achievement | Annemarie Rockmann (Freckleben)

Mrs Rockmann has been working on a voluntary basis as deputy chairwoman of the Freckleben local history association since 2000. One of the aims of the local history association is not only to preserve the castle complex in Freckleben, but also to bring it to life.

As part of her voluntary work, Mrs Rockmann is the contact person at the castle for work assignments, castle tours, arranging appointments with domestic and foreign travel and hiking groups as well as for numerous other events. For example, the 1st May and Ascension Day celebrations, the "Summer Festival", the "Open Monument Day", Advent concerts and a Christmas market take place at the castle in Freckleben.

The castle is also often used as an excursion destination by schools in the neighbouring villages. In addition, meetings and conferences of various social organisations as well as clubs and associations, such as the "Aschersleben-Seeland" LEADER action group, should also be mentioned. A total of 56 events were held at the castle in 2016. If various interested parties register, a small snack is available for the numerous visitors, which is prepared by Mrs Rockmann together with other volunteers.

Mrs Rockmann is also socially involved in her home town and has been the contact person for practical help in the everyday lives of many older people for almost 30 years. She looks after residents in need, drives them to the hospital for emergency care, to the shops, to the authorities or to events. She also founded the "Active over 60" sports group in 2003.

Mrs Rockmann is also an honorary member of the Aschersleben and Salzland district senior citizens' advisory councils and a member of the executive committee of the Saxony-Anhalt state senior citizens' association. Since 2009, she has been actively involved as a councillor in Aschersleben and on various committees.

On the afternoon of 8 March, six women were honoured with the 2016 "Salzlandfrau" award for their extraordinary commitment during a festive ceremony.

The ceremony, which took place this year at the Salzlandtheater Staßfurt, is an expression of recognition and gratitude for the voluntary work that has been done. The organisers succeeded in securing Prof. Dr. Angela Kolb-Janssen, Minister of Justice and Equality of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, as a guest speaker.

In his personal welcome address to those present and all women in the Salzlandkreis district, District Administrator Markus Bauer made it clear that "volunteering creates community, builds trust and gives people security, stability and a sense of belonging. Those who, like our nominated women, are committed to helping others also enrich their own personalities. Those who commit themselves to a good cause grow and mature in their work, gaining understanding, courage and empathy."

The musical programme was provided by the Salzland Accordion Orchestra and members of the "TonLOS" dance project for the deaf run by Lebenshilfe Harzkreis-Quedlinburg gemeinnützige GmbH. The clay figures presented to the 2016 honorary award winners were created by Staßfurt-based artist Anne Stoya.

The organisers of the 2016 award ceremony were the equal opportunities officers of the towns of Staßfurt, Bernburg (Saale), Schönebeck (Elbe) and the Salzland district, Salzlandsparkasse and Volksküche Aschersleben/Staßfurt GmbH.

District Administrator Bauer had taken over the patronage.

Financial support was provided by Stadtwerke Staßfurt GmbH, Erdgas Mittelsachsen GmbH and Stadtwerke Schönebeck GmbH.

Numerous, detailed nominations for the honour award, supplemented with newspaper articles, photos and signature lists, were once again received in advance. The organisers would like to take this opportunity to express their sincere thanks.

Category: Social | Denise Neubert (Staßfurt)

As a mother of two, whose youngest daughter was born with a heart defect and Down's syndrome, Mrs Neubert not only manages a demanding everyday family life, but also her job. Mrs Neubert has also been involved in one of Stassfurt's largest associations for many years. Since 2014, she has been the chairwoman of the association "Lebenshilfe Staßfurt und Umgebung e.V." - which, as the main shareholder, is the "mother" of Lebenshilfe Bördeland gGmbH, so to speak. The association has more than 600 members, including 107 men and women with disabilities. The purpose of the association is to support people with disabilities, to help children, young people and the elderly and to promote welfare.

Mrs Neubert invests a great deal of time in her voluntary work on the Board. She identifies with her role, prepares board meetings and other events and attends numerous appointments relevant to the association.

Despite the necessary care that her daughter requires, she still finds time to stand up for the interests of all people with disabilities. The balancing act between family and voluntary work is certainly not always easy to master - but she seems to succeed.

With her voluntary work, Mrs Neubert openly addresses social problems and at the same time helps to solve them. She works tirelessly for inclusion and the successful coexistence of all people in Staßfurt and the surrounding area. She does not shy away from dialogue and performs her voluntary work with heart and mind.

Category: Society | Christiane Stert (Frose)

Mrs Stert has been one of the co-founders of the Frose Association for Women's, Youth and Senior Citizens' Work since 1995 and has also been its chairwoman from the very beginning.

As a result of her voluntary commitment, numerous creative groups have been established as part of the association's work, such as a pottery course, a handicraft group, a choir and the "Netze knüpfen" group, in which different generations are actively involved.

Under the leadership of Mrs Stert, the association is actively involved in community life. The annual organisation of the farmers' market, Christmas market and festivals to mark International Children's Day and International Women's Day are on the organisation schedule. She also organises annual lectures on various topics and blood donation campaigns.

Mrs Stert maintains close contact with other associations in the municipality of Frose and makes arrangements for joint activities. For example, the town's 10175th anniversary celebrations were organised jointly. Furthermore, thanks to Ms Stert's commitment, the association has organised participation in various "Saxony-Anhalt Days".

Mrs Stert is also committed to maintaining the town twinning with the municipality of Holzappel in Lower Saxony and spends many hours of her time organising twinning meetings.

Mrs Stert was also a member of the Frose municipal council and therefore also responsible for many decisions in the town.

Category: Sport | Sigrid Hermanns (Staßfurt)

Mrs Hermanns has dedicated herself to sport almost without reservation since 1971. She trains, organises, motivates, keeps everyone together and simply inspires everyone who stands in front of her in trainers.

She has been involved in sport since the age of ten. First as a handball player, later in gymnastics. In 1981, she obtained her licence as a popular sports instructor. From then on, she took over the women's gymnastics group in the company sports organisation "Elektron" and headed the gymnastics section. She was a member of the board of the German Gymnastics and Sports Federation until the political changeover and then a member of the district sports association for twelve years.

For 20 years - from 1991 to 2011 - Mrs Hermanns was at the helm of SV "Salzland" Staßfurt. As managing director of the club, she impressed with her expertise, competence and a large portion of heart. She is still active today as the chairwoman of the club, which has 170 members.

Every week, Mrs Hermanns motivates "her" 32-strong sports group anew and always emphasises her love of exercise and physical activity with humour and charm. She regularly takes part in further training for her sports friends and therefore always enriches the exercise classes with the latest scientific and sporting knowledge.

For 36 years, Mrs Hermanns has been responsible for the traditional last highlight of the sports year in Staßfurt - the New Year's Eve carp run.

The members of the board of her club and the ladies of her sports groups, who nominated her for the honour, wrote in their application: "The continuity with which she carries out her voluntary work demands the utmost respect. Few people manage to remain faithful to their chosen task over such a long period of time."

Category: Economy | Oda Schöler (Wolmirsleben)

Mrs Schöler ventured into self-employment shortly after the political change and opened a hairdressing salon in Wolmirsleben. She celebrated her 25th anniversary in March 2016.

In addition to her self-employment, Ms Schöler has been the initiator and driving force behind the "Bördewichtel", an amateur theatre group with a lot of heart, for 17 years. The amateur theatre group, which has around 30 members, is not active as an association, but only exists thanks to its own initiatives and donations.

Under the direction of Ms Schöler, the members of the amateur theatre group present an interesting and varied programme every year, whereby the amateur theatre plays are characterised by a high level of enthusiasm on the part of the actors. The amateur theatre work impressively unites the individual generations.

The premiere of the new stage show is traditionally celebrated every year with a colourful festival, in which other residents of the Wolmirsleben community also actively participate thanks to the voluntary commitment of Ms Schöler.

As a result, annual community festivals have been organised for many years together with the Wolmirsleben village community association, the church communities, the "Egelner Mulde" support centre, the Schneidlinger Klusstiftung, the Wolmirsleben fire brigade and numerous other supporters. There will be various sales and craft stalls, music and dancing, and food and drink will also be provided. Visitors can look forward to various special highlights - and of course the "Bördewichtel" will also be performing. There is good co-operation with the clubs and associations as well as the public institutions in the municipality of Wolmirsleben and the surrounding area.

But the amateur theatre group is not only united by the joy of theatre and celebrating. They are also committed to a good cause. For 19 years, the proceeds from Mrs Schöler's amateur theatre performances have been donated to the outpatient children's and youth hospice service in Magdeburg.

The Malteser outpatient hospice service in Magdeburg offers seriously ill and dying children, their relatives and friends counselling, support and companionship during the difficult time of saying goodbye.

Category: Culture | Sigrid Kaboth (Bernburg)

Mrs Kaboth was a founding member of the Carl-Maria-von-Weber-Theater Bernburg e. V. in 1993 and signed the first articles of association alongside other founding members. At that time, the association was still running the venues in Bernburg itself. After the founding of Bernburger Theater- und Veranstaltungs GmbH in 1997, the association was renamed Bernburger Theaterverein with new statutes.

From 1997 to 2007, Ms Kaboth served as Chairwoman of the Bernburg Theatre Association, and from 2007 to 2015 as 1st Deputy Chairwoman. The success and positive public image of the association are inextricably linked to her name.

Her commitment ranged from the acquisition of funding and donations to personal involvement in events such as the Bernburg Tourism Exchange in the Kurhaus or participation in parades for various occasions and events.

She appeared in costume to promote the theatre association and amateur theatre work, to provide information and to inspire others about the work of the association. She achieved this in many different ways. Today, the theatre association has grown to more than 100 members and can be very proud of its strong amateur theatre work, which is unparalleled in any other city. An outstanding example of this are the amateur theatre days that take place at short intervals, which were only held in Bernburg again at the end of February 2016 with the support of the theatre association.

Mrs Kaboth was also a co-initiator of the Bernburger Seniorenkolleg. She has been a member of the advisory board since it was founded in 2002.

Ms Kaboth is actively involved in drawing up the semester programme. Her advice is also much sought after when planning the annual excursions.

She actively promotes the events of the Seniorenkolleg and tries to prevent events from overlapping with the Seniorenkolleg by talking to other organisers.

Her more than 30 years of work as a city guide as well as her appearances and guided tours as Friederike von Anhalt in historical costume are also worth mentioning. She not only delighted the city's guests, but was also an eye-catcher and popular photo subject at cultural highlights such as the "800 Years of Anhalt" celebrations.

In the Protestant Talstadt parish in Bernburg, she is the secretary of the parish council and is the good soul at parish events.

She has also been an active member of the board of the Friedrich Silcher Choir Bernburg since 1979. In addition to her work on the board, she is also section leader of the second soprano.

Category: Lifetime achievement | Heidemarie Wünsche (Schönebeck)

Mrs Wünsche has worked tirelessly and competently for many years as an active board member for the interests of the Schönebeck local association of the Workers' Welfare Association (AWO) and for the interests of senior citizens and self-help groups as well as the "Einheit Schönebeck" residential sports group.

Thanks to her always open and friendly manner, she is popular with everyone and an important link to many other associations.

She is involved in the AWO senior citizens' office in Schönebeck on a weekly basis and is also an active member of the board of the state working group "Active in retirement".

In addition to three different women's discussion groups, she also looks after the creative group, the cycling group and the hiking group. She is also responsible for public relations, the organisation and implementation of special events including group trips, supports the group leaders in the preparation of various activities and is not afraid to lend a hand even with manual work.

As a long-standing member of the Schönebeck City Council, Ms Wünsche is also involved in equal opportunities and accessibility in the specialist committee for youth, women and social affairs as well as in the urban development, building and environmental committees.