Abbot Primate Dr. Notker Wolf, the Supreme Head of the Benedictine Order, was distinguished with this year’s Wolfram Engels Prize, particularly for the consistency of his promotion for freedom and individual responsibility.
In his book titled “What are we waiting for?” (Worauf warten wir?), in which Notker Wolf derided the German predisposition for security and protection of vested rights while promoting the freedom of the individual, the natural philosopher and epistemologist commented clearly: “The people around us are looking for comfort. They cry for the state and want to continue to lead their childish lives.” In this way, people are exactly like their muscular systems: “If one does not continually exert himself, he will atrophy.”
More personal initiative and at the same time less of a state that continuously supplies people are his recommendations in view of the underlying circumstances. The Benedictine monk is not afraid to become recalcitrant when it comes to Germany’s future.
Here, you can read the speech honoring the winner of the 2007 Wolfram Engels Prize, Abbot Primate Dr. Notker Wolf, delivered by President of the Parliament Dr. Norbert Lammert on June 18, 2007: Speech (German)