The Cardinal Innitzer Prizes were awarded at the Archbishop’s Palace in Vienna. This award, initiated by the Archdiocese of Vienna, annually honors outstanding achievements in the humanities and natural sciences as well as in the field of journalism. Several representatives of MedUni Vienna were among the prizewinners. At the event, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn emphasized the central role of science in society and appealed to politicians to promote it more strongly.
The focus of this year’s award ceremony was Dietrich Kraft, who was awarded the main prize. The physician is regarded as a pioneer of regenerative medicine and cardiovascular research. His groundbreaking achievements include the cloning of allergy-causing pollen proteins, which revolutionized modern diagnostics and therapies. Due to health restrictions, his son accepted the award on his behalf. Kraft, born in Innsbruck in 1937, is an outstanding personality in the international scientific world. With over 400 scientific publications and numerous honors, including his membership in the Austrian Academy of Sciences, he has had a significant impact on research. His work as head of the Department of Immunopathology at the Medical University of Vienna was particularly highlighted.
Recognition of further outstanding achievements
In addition to Dietrich Kraft, three prizes were also awarded for special contributions in various disciplines:
Walter Pohl (historian): Humanities and Social Sciences and Law.
Jürgen Knoblich (molecular biologist, IMBA and MedUni Vienna): Natural sciences and medicine.
Alice Senarclens de Grancy (journalist): Journalism, in particular for her work in the "Knowledge" section of the newspaper "Die Presse".
In addition, eight sponsorship awards were awarded to young scientists:
Medical University of Vienna: Maximilian Marhold, Martin Schepelmann, Tobias Zrzavy.
Benedict XVI School of Theology: Johannes Paul Chavanne.
University of Vienna: Lisa Isola.
University of Graz: Jana Lasser.
Vienna University of Technology: Julian Léonard.
University of Salzburg: Natascha Brandstätter
About the Cardinal Innitzer Prize
The Cardinal Innitzer Prize, named after Cardinal Theodor Innitzer (1875-1955), has been one of the most prestigious academic awards in Austria since its introduction in 1962. Funded by the Archdiocese of Vienna, the Ministry of Science, the federal states and private supporters, it is a symbol of recognition and promotion of scientific excellence.
