A great honor for the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences (MARUM) at the University of Bremen: marine researcher Professor Gerold Wefer has been awarded the Bremen Town Musicians Prize for his research and commitment to science, as well as the interesting and entertaining way he makes the results of his work known to the general public. To mark the occasion, the Federal Minister for Research, Professor Annette Schavan, held a laudatory speech during the award giving ceremony that took place in the Theater am Goetheplatz. The Minister did not miss this opportunity to visit MARUM and learn more about the work being done there. In 2007 the Bremen marine research center was granted the status of an Excellence Cluster within the context of the Excellence Initiative launched by the German Government and the federal states: over a five-year period, the center has been granted €7.9 million of special funding.

The Bremen Economic Development Council and the Bremen Tourist Office presented the award to Professor Gerold Wefer in the category Tourism/ Town Marketing. The geologist and oceanographer has been especially in the popular dissemination of complex scientific topics. For example, he was instrumental in launching the popular Bremen Science Center Universum, and he also played a significant role in establishing the Haus der Wissenschaft in downtown Bremen. In her laudatio, Federal Minister Anette Schavan expressed appreciation for Professor Gerold Wefer as a renowned oceanographer – but also as a person “who not only carries out research but also lives it every day: How can we move society’s focus onto science?“

The Town Musicians Prize has been awarded since 2009 to persons who have rendered a special service to the Hanseatic City of Bremen by centering regional attention on the town.  

More information under www.marum.de or www.theaterbremen.