German Representative Awards 'German-Taiwan Friendship Medal' to Honor Grassroots Contributions

German Representative to Taiwan Karsten Tietz presented the German-Taiwan Friendship Medal today, honoring contributions to the long-term promotion of bilateral relations. He stated that bilateral friendship is driven from the grassroots level, and the success stories of the awardees serve as a catalyst for German-Taiwanese friendship. Peng Shuang-chun, the only Taiwanese recipient this year, said that Taiwan and Germany are a perfect team. The German Institute Taipei held the award ceremony at Tietz's residence in the evening, featuring a brass ensemble performance by the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig. Central News Agency President Hu Wan-ling and figures from academia, politics, and business attended. In his speech, Tietz pointed out that the medal does not recognize a single event, but rather long-term, meaningful contributions in schools, business, politics, and sports. There were four recipients this year. Tietz introduced them: Linda Blechert, who has served at the German Trade Office for 11 years and became a Taiwanese daughter-in-law in 2019; Andreas Hilsbos, principal of the German section of the Taipei European School, who has worked to increase the visibility of the German section; Henrik Rödl, head coach of the Taiwan Beer Leopards, who led the team to the top of the regular season; and Dr. Peng Shuang-chun, former head of the Science and Technology Division at the Representative Office in Germany. Tietz joked, "I hope you can beat Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong like the German section students." He praised Dr. Peng for the unprecedented vibrancy of scientific and technological cooperation during his tenure. The recipients expressed their gratitude, highlighting Taiwan's resilience and shared democratic values. The Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig will perform in Taipei and Tainan on the 23rd and 24th.