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Ceremonial presentation of the Friedrich Gennheimer Prize to two Wine Campus Neustadt alumni

On Friday, October 27, 2023, the Haniel Foundation and the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society presented the Friedrich Gennheimer Prize to two Master's students from the Wine Campus Neustadt. The award-winning master's theses examine the transformation of the economy towards greater sustainability. The Friedrich Gennheimer Prize for Marketing, endowed with 3000 euros, went to Pauline Baumberger-Brand. The Friedrich Gennheimer Prize for Viticulture, Enology and Wine Marketing, endowed with 3000 euros, went to Martin Ladach.

In memory of Friedrich Gennheimer, the Friedrich Gennheimer Prize was established in 2023 together with the Haniel Foundation as the awarding institution. The Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society and the Haniel Foundation can already look back on 25 years of cooperation. Prof. Dr. Gunther Piller, President of the University of Business and Society, opened the ceremony for the awarding of the Friedrich Gennheimer Prize in the auditorium of the Rural Area Service Center (DLR) Rheinpfalz "The Wine Campus Neustadt is a success story based on close cooperation between the three sponsoring universities: TH Bingen, Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences, Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society and the Rural Area Service Center (DLR) Rhenish Palatinate. The Friedrich Gennheimer Prize adds another strong facet to this success story." Former State Secretary Dr. Siegfried Englert's speech was about Friedrich Gennheimer's moving life. Englert is not only the executor of Gennheimer's estate, but is also one of the co-founders of the Wine Campus Neustadt.
Kurt Beck, former Minister President, gave the evening's keynote speech: "We have come together today to honor the extraordinary achievements of young people. This is more important than ever in today's world. Even if the scientific knowledge developed at universities may not always be the measure of all things, we should always take it into account. Universities are places where solutions are developed. Which vines are fit for the future? I think it is important, and I would like to emphasize this, that scientific findings are presented in an understandable way." In his speech, Beck addressed the holistic approach to sustainability: "Sustainability must be implemented not only in a social context, but also in a private context. To be able to look at things together, you have to be ready for it." 

Pauline Baumberger-Brand, graduate of the MBA Wine, Sustainability & Sales program, dealt with a workshop format for sustainability development for the German wine industry in her master's thesis. The format is intended to serve the change process, which is initiated through interaction. Her emotional acceptance speech made it clear how important the sustainability development of wineries is to her and how much her studies at Wine Campus Neustadt have meant to her. Prof. Dr. Marc Dreßler, head of the MBA Wine, Sustainability & Sales course, expressed his pride in his laudatory speech. "Ms. Baumberger-Brand is not only a scientifically sound and intrinsically driven person, but also a very open-minded person. She sees the need for action in the field of sustainability and is aware of the complexity associated with this often overused word. Ms. Baumberger-Brand is an entrepreneur herself and impresses with many practical aspects in her Master's thesis," said Prof. Dreßler in his laudatory speech.
Martin Ladach, a graduate of the German-French Master's degree program in Viticulture & Enology, examined fungus-resistant grape varieties for their suitability for the production of white wines using the mash fermentation method in his Master's thesis. Four different vinification methods were tested for each grape variety. Mash fermentation proved to be a particularly suitable method for the Sauvignac, Muscaris and Cabernet blanc grape varieties. In addition to the possibility of environmentally friendly and sustainable viticulture, all the grape varieties examined have a high potential for defensive Enology. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Fischer, Head of the Institute of Viticulture and Enology, gave the laudatory speech: "Martin Ladach is a pioneer and a frontier runner who has a great passion for wine. Reliable, scientific data is created at the Wine Campus Neustadt. Martin Ladach's master's thesis is the basis for sustainable viticulture and actually makes wineries more sustainable. PIWIs are fascinating and can help winegrowers save time and money."

Friedrich Wilhelm Gennheimer was born in Neustadt an der Weinstraße in 1930. The Gennheimer family is known in Neustadt under the company name Gebrüder Gennheimer Sektkellerei. His professional career began with a degree in business administration, which he completed as a Diplom-Kaufmann. This was followed by a lectureship in general business administration at the vocational schools in Speyer and a transfer to the State Higher Business College in Ludwigshafen, where he also taught business administration. Just one year later, he was appointed professor at the Ludwigshafen department of the Rhineland-Palatinate University of Applied Sciences. Gennheimer taught there in the fields of marketing, human resources and training. From 1979 to 1987, he was Dean of the Ludwigshafen department and was responsible for founding the Worms department and the East Asia Institute in Ludwigshafen during this period. Gennheimer retired in 1996, although he continued to teach as a lecturer in the Department of Business Administration in the years that followed.
Friedrich Gennheimer passed away in 2022, leaving part of his estate to support outstanding graduates of the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society in the fields of viticulture and marketing. Prof. Dr. Laura Ehm, Professor of Marketing at the Wine Campus Neustadt, is in charge of the cooperation with the Haniel Foundation and the Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society: "I am very pleased that we can award such a highly endowed prize to excellent theses and that funds will be available for the next ten years."

Image rights: Wine Campus Neustadt