Hesse's Minister President Roland Koch accepted the Award on behalf of Helmut Kohl, who could not personally be present for health reasons.
Kohl was chosen to receive the EUR 1 million award by the Roland Berger Foundation in recognition of his historic lifetime achievement in politics. He will donate EUR 700,000 to the University of Heidelberg to create a "Helmut Kohl Guest Professorship for European Culture and Political Philosophy". The remaining EUR 300,000 will be used to rebuild a children's hospital in Sri Lanka, an institution Helmut Kohl has supported since the 2004 tsunami.
Press release - Roland Berger Human Dignity Award 2010 Tribute by the Roland Berger Foundation Tribute State Secretary Wladyslaw Bartoszewski Speech Prof. Dr. h.c. Roland Berger Speech Federal President Horst Köhler Speech Minister President Roland Koch