On November 25, 2024, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Justice Minister Alma Zadić presented the former President of the Vienna Youth Court, Udo Jesionek, with the Great Golden Medal of Honor for his services to the Republic of Austria. Jesionek, born in Berlin in 1937, has been committed to legal and social issues for decades. His initiatives are particularly aimed at continuously improving the rights of crime victims.
“There are a variety of tasks that Udo Jesionek holds and has held – tasks for which he rightly received numerous awards and honors. The badge of honor that we are presenting today should be a big thank you for the services that Udo Jesionek has made for the people of this country,” said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. “I know and respect Udo Jesionek as a stubborn and passionate fighter for the rights of crime victims. With his decades of tireless commitment and his expertise, he made a significant contribution to improving their situation and thus made history. I warmly congratulate him on being awarded the Great Gold Medal of Honor for services to the Republic of Austria and thank him for his significant commitment for the benefit of all of us,” emphasized Justice Minister Alma Zadić.
In 1978, Udo Jesionek was one of the committed people who founded an association to advocate for the rights and needs of crime victims: the WEISSER RING. From the year it was founded until 1991, Jesionek was vice president of the association, then president of the WEISSER RING until 2024, which he expanded into the largest nationwide victim support organization in Austria. Since his resignation in January 2024, Jesionek has been honorary president of the WEISSER RING.
Xenia Zauner, head of the operations department of the Vienna police and member of the executive board of the WEISSER RING, emphasized: “Udo Jesionek has worked in over 25 functions. 500 publications and his work as an honorary professor testify to an intellectual drive that is unparalleled.” Heinz Gehl, former Bank Austria board member and executive board member of the WEISSER RING, added: “I maintain that Udo Jesionek is a beacon for all volunteers, because the principles , with which the WHITE RING works, can be traced back to him.”
In his words of thanks, Jesionek announced his life motto: “One waits for the times to change, the other attacks them vigorously and acts – when I saw that people could be helped, I always tried to achieve something.”
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