Honoring the Legacy of Fallen Historian Thomas Großbölting with a Memorial Prize
Recalling Heavy Costs at Large-Bolt in the context of Red-Green Coalition - Memorable Price Clash between Red and Green
Wanna know more about that academia dude who met a tragic end in a train crash? Let's dive in.
The red-green coalition is on a mission to pay tribute to the late historian, Thomas Großbölting, who succumbed to a grisly train mishap in February. They're planning to establish a prize or scholarship in his honor during the May session of the Citizens' Assembly.
Großbölting, a seasoned 55-year-old scholar, lost his life on February 11. He was on an ICE train, en route from Hamburg to Munich, when it clashed with a truck at a level crossing in the city. The incident left 25 passengers injured out of the 291 aboard. The truck, loaded with hefty railway tracks, scattered far and wide after the crash in the Ronnenburg district.
As the managing director of the Academy of World Religions and director of the Research Center for Contemporary History at the University of Hamburg, Großbölting carved a significant niche in the arena of contemporary history and religious studies research in the city. His research on sexualized violence in church contexts and his involvement in the debate about renaming the Hamburg Tropical Institute made him a public figure.
"He built bridges between different disciplines and promoted dialogue between religions as well as between science and the public," asserted SPD science expert Philine Sturzenbecher. His untimely demise left a profound void in the research community in Hamburg and beyond. With the proposal for the Citizens' Assembly session, they aim to celebrate his work and encourage research in his key fields of contemporary Hamburg history and religious studies.
Green faction leader Michael Gwosdz underlined, "It's crucial for us to honor his memory and ensure that socially relevant research garners the attention it deserves in the future." They're aiming for an award that recognizes outstanding research in interreligious and religious studies.
In essence, they want to keep his academic legacy alive by encouraging research in the fields he was passionate about, such as social history, industrial labor, and environmental history. It's a heartfelt tribute to a renowned scholar whose life was cut short too soon. So, cheers to you, Thomas Großbölting! Your memory will continue to inspire future generations of researchers.
In the spirit of remembering Thomas Großboëlting's life and work, the proposed Memorial Prize or scholarship aims to support researchers in the fields of science, particularly health-and-wellness and mental-health, mirroring his advocacy for addressing societal issues. The prize intends to fill the void left by his untimely demise and foster ongoing research in contemporary Hamburg history and religious studies, reinforcing community policy and academic collaboration.
