Enlightenment in the 21st century
Lawyer, journalist, founder of Dignitas
Ludwig A. Minelli was born in Zurich in 1932. He initially worked as a journalist, including as the first Swiss correspondent for SPIEGEL. After graduating from law school in 1981 Minelli specialized as a lawyer in human rights issues. The rulings of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court known as "Minelli I", "Minelli II", and "Minelli III" significantly contributed to improving the living conditions of prisoners.
Philipp Möller, pedagogue, author
Philipp Möller was born in 1980 in (West) Berlin, where he grew up with three younger siblings. In the course of studying towards a teaching degree, which he completed in 2008, he developed a fascination for the new image of humans, which is shaped by brain research, sociobiology, and evolutionary psychology. After being press spokesman for the secular bus campaign in 2009 he volunteered as press consultant for the Giordano Bruno Stiftung until May 2014 and utilized numerous media appearances to publicize the idea of humanism and enlightenment (and the associated criticism of religion, e.g. in the talk shows "Anne Will", "Tacheles" and "SWR-Nachtcafé").
Dr. Jürgen Neffe, author, biographer, biochemist
Jürgen Neffe was born in Herne in 1956. After graduating from high school he first studied physics, but later switched to biology. In 1985 he received his Dr. rer. nat. degree from the RWTH Aachen University on a biochemical topic. In the 1980s he worked as an author and editor for the journal Geo and as a freelance correspondent for the scientific journal Nature. From 1993 he worked as a reporter, columnist, and correspondent at Spiegel.
Prof. Dr. Johannes Neumann, sociologist, deceased 2013
Johannes Neumann was born in Königsberg in 1929. He studied philosophy, history, sociology, and theology in Munich and Freiburg. He received his PhD and habilitation from the Institute of Canon Law at University of Munich. Neumann was initially professor of canon law in Tübingen. After splitting with the church and returning the missio canonica he became professor of sociology of law and religion in 1977.
Dr. Gisela Notz, social scientist
Gisela Notz was born in 1942 in Schweinfurt am Main. She studied industrial sociology, industrial psychology, and adult education in Berlin, receiving her PhD from the Technical University of Berlin. From 1979 she was a scientific advisor at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. She initially worked in the labour force research department and later in labour and social research. Notz was also co-editor of the journal "beiträge zur feministischen theorie und praxis" ("contributions to feminist theory and practice") from 1983 to 1998.
Prof. Dr. Heinz Oberhummer, nuclear and astrophysicist, deceased 2015
Heinz Oberhummer was born in 1941 in Bischofshofe, Austria. He studied physics and mathematics at the Karl-Franzens-University Graz and Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich. He received his PhD from the University of Graz in 1977 and his habilitation in 1980. From 1988-2006 he was university professor for theoretical physics at the TU Vienna.
Prof. Dr. Rolf Oerter, developmental psychologist
Rolf Oerter was born in 1931 and graduated from high school in 1950 in Schweinfurt. From 1952 to 1955 he worked as a primary school teacher. In 1960 he received his university diploma in psychology, followed by his PhD in 1963 and his habilitation in 1969. From 1969 to 1981 he was a professor in Augsburg. In 1981 he was appointed to the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (Munich), where he headed the chair of developmental psychology from 1981 to 1999.
Helmut Ortner, journalist, media developer, publicist
Helmut Ortner was born in 1950 in Gendorf/Upper Bavaria and grew up in Frankfurt-Höchst. He completed an apprenticeship as a typesetter and then studied at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Offenbach am Main. Afterwards he trained as a journalist: editor, editor-in-chief (e.g. Journal Frankfurt, Prinz). Since 1998 he has worked as a freelance print media developer with an office in Frankfurt. He has developed concepts and relaunches for more than 100 national and international magazines and newspapers, including magazines such as Focus and Cicero, as well as daily and weekly newspapers, including Das Parlament, Jüdische Allgemeine, Frankfurter Rundschau, De Lloyd Antwerpen, Rotterdam, Allgemeine Zeitung, Wiesbadener Kurier, Darmstädter Echo. He has received more than 40 awards for his work as a media developer (e.g. European Newspaper Award, CP Award Gold).
Volker Panzer, journalist and TV host, deceased 2020
Volker Panzer was born in 1947 in Schaffhausen/Saar. From 1968 to 1975 he studied sociology, German language and literature, political science, and pedagogy at Goethe University Frankfurt and at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. After working as an assistant at the teaching institute of the University of Mainz he worked as a freelance journalist for ZDF and several ARD stations (both German public-service television broadcasters).
Martin Perscheid, cartoonist and writer
Martin Perscheid, born in 1966, is one of the most famous German cartoonists. His cartoon series "Perscheids Abgründe", which is published in about 50 newspapers and magazines on a regular basis, was awarded the "Max & Moritz Prize" in 2002. Perscheid, whose works repeatedly deal with irrationalism, superstition and religion, has been drawing for the series "Spott sei Dank" of the Humanistic Press Service since 2018. In October 2020 he was appointed to the advisory board of the Giordano Bruno Foundation.