Eurode honorary medal presentation

The Eurode Medal of Honor is awarded by the Council of Eurode to individuals who have shown extraordinary commitment to cross-border cooperation in general and the positioning of Eurode in particular.

Mr. Von den Driesch has always been a source of inspiration for all those who, in one form or another, have contributed and continue to contribute to the unification of Europe in general and the development of Eurode as a European city in particular.

As former mayor (until November 2020) of the border municipality of Herzogenrath, chairman of the Public Entity Eurode and board member of the AG Charlemagne, he has constantly stressed the importance of continuing formal, cross-border cooperation between Kerkrade and Herzogenrath. He also always and everywhere, both nationally and internationally, propagated the successes of Eurode. It was clear to him that European unification begins at the (state) borders and that this must take shape at the base, i.e. locally. 

Mr. Von den Driesch also stood at the cradle of the very first ever Border Info Point, the GIP in the Eurode Business Center. The BIP provides sustainable, cross-border services for the (eu)regional labor market. Also, thanks in part to Mr. Von Den Driesch, the EBC has grown to full occupancy and has remained fully staffed despite the crises it has faced.

As a good host and ambassador of Eurode, Mr. Von den Driesch has proudly welcomed many visitors to the EBC during working visits, seminars and exchanges. The highlight was the reception of H.M. Queen Beatrix, her son Willem-Alexander and daughter-in-law Máxima in 2011. During their state visit to Germany, Mr. Von den Driesch introduced them to the day-to-day cross-border cooperation between Kerkrade and Herzogenrath. 

His serious and determined approach have made Mr. Von den Driesch a true and trusting ambassador of Eurode. Thanks in part to the perseverance with which he has given shape and substance to bottom-up cross-border cooperation, he has laid a solid foundation for Eurode with which Eurode can continue to serve as an example to many on both sides of the border. 

Fellow Mayor in Eurode and President of the Council of Eurode, Petra Dassen-Housen looks back on their cooperation, "In the, admittedly short, period that I have worked together with Christoph von den Driesch, I have gained a great deal of admiration for the inspired way in which he has dedicated himself to a borderless cooperation between our two municipalities. Thanks in part to his enthusiasm and determination, Herzogenrath and Kerkrade have increasingly merged into one Eurode in which the national border is increasingly blurred in all areas."