The Chairman of the FIAS Board of Trustees, Prof. Dr. Rudolf Steinberg, has been awarded the Federal Cross of Merit with Ribbon. During a ceremony he was presented with the award by Volker Bouffier, the Prime Minister of the State of Hesse.

During his term as President of the Goethe University, Rudolf Steinberg played a crucial role in transforming the Goethe University into a foundation university. He also played a major role in the establishment of the FIAS. Even after the end of his presidency, he remained closely connected to the FIAS and, first as a member and now as Head of the Board of Trustees, he has had a decisive influence on the development of the Institute.

"The interest of young people in Frankfurt as a place to study is great. This is also due to the wide range of subjects offered by the university. A tribute to the former president Prof. Dr. Rudolf Steinberg. He had a decisive influence on the University of Frankfurt and made it a flagship in Germany. Today I am very pleased to present him with the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Federal Republic of Germany." said Volker Bouffier, the State Premier of Hessen. Steinberg was also honored by the German President for his extensive honorary commitment. For many years, he has chaired the Board of Trustees of the FIAS as well as the Board of Trustees of the House of Silence on the Westend Campus. His other activities include heading the Board of Trustees of the Polytechnic Society and being a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ernst Strüngmann Institute.

"The FIAS congratulates Rudolf Steinberg for this great award, which he has more than earned.", explains Prof. Dr. Enrico Schleiff, the chairman of the board of the FIAS. "In the founding days of the FIAS, Rudolf Steinberg has been extraordinarily committed to the idea of a foundation institute. Not only did he set the course for this great experiment of a foundation institute on the part of the university, but still he also personally recruited supporters. As Chairman of our Board of Trustees, he has had a positive influence on the development of the FIAS to this day."