Held in the historic Villa Rosenmatt, the award ceremony marked the culmination of a year of events organized by the ErlebnisMüllerThurgau association to commemorate the 175th birthday of Swiss Botanist Hermann Müller-Thurgau. The board of the VEG – Geisenheim Alumni Association e.V. awarded Professor Schultz with the prize in honor of his exceptional dedication and services to research, teaching, and international collaboration.
Under his direction, Hochschule Geisenheim University has continued to grow into a internationally renowned institution that combines research, education, and praxis in a unique way. Schultz' work on the impact of climate change, his dedication to sustainable farming systems and his contributions to international committees – including a place on the Papal Advisory Committee for Sustainable Food Systems – have made him an influential personality in the international agricultural, wine, and food science scene.
The fact that Professor Schultz received the award while still actively serving as the university's president gave the honor special significance; originally, he had already planned to enter into a new phase of his career in which he would dedicate time to giving scientific lectures, traveling, and his private life, but chose instead to support Hochschule Geisenheim University as it moved through an important transitional period by extending his term as president.
Dr. Lukas Bertschinger, president of advisory boards for the Professor Müller-Thurgau Prize and Müller-Thurgau-Stiftung, held the laudation for Professor Schultz. Multiple former awardees as well as a delegation formed from members of the Geisenheim Alumni Association's board also travelled to Switzerland to attend the event and honor the long-standing connection between Wädenswil and Geisenheim.
This honor celebrated the bridge between the origins and future of European agricultural and viticultural science, embodied by two personalities who connect generations: Hermann Müller-Thurgau and Hans Reiner Schultz.
"Professor Schultz has not just led Geisenheim, but has lived Geisenheim – with passion, foresight, and a real sense of responsibility for the future.“
– Robert Lönarz, President of VEG – Geisenheim Alumni Association e.V.
Speaking after the event, Robert Lönarz emphasized:
“In honoring Professor Schultz, we are honoring a personality who not only led Geisenheim, but also lived it – with passion, vision, and an impressive openness to the world. His work stands for scientific excellence, human greatness, and a firm belief that responsibility and progress go hand in hand. The fact that he accepted this award in Wädenswil, the Swiss home of Hermann Müller-Thurgau, closed the circle between tradition and the future – and made it clear that these two outstanding researchers have many parallels.”
Professor Hans Reiner Schultz, stated:
"I would like to thank the board of trustees, my colleagues, our students, and all our companions who have made Geisenheim what it is today: a place of knowledge, togetherness, and optimism for the future. This award has touched me deeply, not only because it comes from Geisenheim, but because it connects me to a place and a personality that represent the roots of our work. Hermann Müller-Thurgau demonstrated that research is particularly powerful when it builds bridges: between countries, disciplines, and generations. This remains my personal commitment.
The entire community at Hochschule Geisenheim University congratulates Professor Schultz on his achievement and celebrates his service to the university alongside the Geisenheim Alumni Association.
Preview: Plant Breeding Conference 2026/2027 in Geisenheim
The European Alliance for Special Crops, founded in 2024 in collaboration with the Scientific Advisory Board of the Laimburg Research Centre (Auer, Italy), is currently working with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich to develop a concept for an international plant breeding conference. The aim is to build a bridge between basic science and high school biology programs. Among other topics, the event will have a focus on “175 years of Müller-Thurgau – Breeding: Past, Present, and Future.”
For more information on the Professor Müller-Thurgau Award, please visit:
https://mein-netzwerk.hs-geisenheim.de/mtp/ (in German)
