Genocide Scholar Tessaโ Hofmann Receives โขGermany’s Order โof Merit
BERLIN – Dr. โtessa Hofmann, โaโ renowned scholar ofโ genocide and โฃhuman rights advocate, has been awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, one of the nation’s highestโ honors. The โrecognition, signed into effect by Germanโ Federal โฃPresident Frank-Walter Steinmeier โon June 13th, acknowledges Hofmann’s significantโ contributions to German society and herโค tireless work promoting awareness of historical injustices.
Hofmann isโ especially recognized for herโฃ decades-long โadvocacyโ for acknowledging the genocideโ against Armenians and โฃother Christian minorities within โฃthe Ottoman Empire. Herโ efforts โculminated in a landmark resolution passed by the Bundestag (German Parliament) in โข2016, a โpivotal moment for historical recognition and reconciliation. โThe award underscores Germany’s commitment to confronting its pastโฃ and โคsupporting โthose who champion humanโฃ rightsโฃ and historical truth.
The berlin Senate’s Department for Culture and Social Solidarityโ initiated the nomination, highlighting the importance of โขHofmann’s civil society work. A letter from George klussmann,โ the Berlin Mayor’s chief of protocol, informedโ Hofmann of โฃthe honor on June 27th, stating โคherโ “exceptional personal achievements” had “made an outstanding contribution to the common good of the Federal Republic of Germany.”
Hofmann’s work extendsโ beyond advocacy; she actively collaborated with organizations like the โฃPromotional Society for โฃthe Ecumenical Monuments for Genocide Victimsโ of the Ottoman Empire โฃ(FรGG). โ Led inโฃ part byโฃ Amill โGorgis, โขa representativeโ of the Syrian Orthodox Aramaean community, FรGG erected monuments in a Berlin cemeteryโข toโค commemorate the โvictims of the Ottoman genocide.
A formal ceremony to confer the Order ofโ Merit on Dr. Hofmann will be held in Berlin โon October โฃ20th.โ The honor โขreflects not onyl her individualโ achievementsโ but also the collective efforts of numerous German and minority groups – includingโข Kurds, Alevites, armenians, and Greeks – who supported her nominationโข and โshare her commitment to justice and remembrance.