Awards and prizes
Since its foundation in 1947, the German Sport University Cologne has continued to develop. Today, it is an internationally renowned research university offering modern Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes and home to more than 6,000 students.
Its numerous memberships in various networks and organisations are a testament to its unique interdisciplinary approach and its leading position in sports science, both nationally and internationally. The German Sport University’s ongoing commitment to innovation is coupled with an awareness of its special responsibility towards sport and society.
The university awards various academic honours to individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the German Sport University Cologne and/or the field of sport science.
Academic Honours
Honorary Figures of the German Sport University Cologne
Name, date of appointment
Lothar Feuser 25 June 2022
Dr h.c. Otto Wolff von Amerongen (†) 27 November 1998
Prof. Dr med. Kurt-Alphons Jochheim (†) 15 June 1996
Prof. Dr med. Dr h.c. Wildor Hollmann (†) 3 November 1995
Prof. Dr. phil. Hans-Joachim Lieber (†) 26 April 1993
Prof. Liselott Diem, Hum. D. (†) 1992
Former Minister of State Dr h.c. Willi Weyer (†) 1987
Senior Administrative Director Dr jur. Wilhelm Schwarz (†) 7 July 1975
Name, date of appointment
Prof. Dr Johannes Horst 27 November 2012
Prof. Dr h.c. Walfried König 1 December 2006
Prof. Dr h.c. Georg Anders 18 November 2006
Prof. Dr Eike Reschke (†)11 November 1999
Prof. Frieder Roskam (†) 8 February 1989
Professor Alfons Gerz (†) 19 April 1983
Prof. August Kirsch (†) 26 November 1976
Name, date of appointment
Prof. Dr Wolfgang Prinz 27 November 2015
Dr h.c. Horst Klosterkemper 18 April 2005
Dr h.c. Georg Anders 20 July 2000
Dr h.c. Otto Wolff von Amerongen (deceased) 6 November 1993
Dr h.c. Walfried König 10 September 1993
Prof. Dr med. Dr h.c. Ernst Jokl (deceased) 12 January 1991
Prof. Dr. phil. Dr. h.c. Hans Lenk 17 December 1986
Dr. h.c. John G. Dixon 1 October 1977
Dr h.c. Willi Weyer 1987 (†) 15 February 1977
Prof. Dr h.c. Willi Daume (†) 30 June 1973
Name, date of appointment
Birgit Fischer 14 November 2012
Prof. Dr E. Rainer de Vivie (†) 14 November 2012
Medal from the German Sport University Cologne
The core of the medal from the German Sport University Cologne features a replica of an ancient silver coin found during excavations at Olympia. The coin is an Attic tetradrachm of the so-called ‘New Style’. It bears an image of the goddess Athena wearing the Attic helmet on the obverse, and on the reverse a depiction of an owl (the bird sacred to the goddess) standing on a reclining amphora.
At the suggestion of the then President of the International Olympic Academy, Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover, King Constantine II of Greece donated the coin in 1967; it serves as the central element of the new chain of office for the Rector of the German Sport University Cologne. The chain of office itself was presented to the university by the German Sports Federation, represented by its President Willi Daume, on the occasion of the opening of the academic term on 8 June 1967.
Name, Year
of Appointment: Prof. Liselott Diem, Hum. D. (†) 1991
; Univ.-Prof. Dr Ommo Grupe (†) 1999
; Univ.-Prof. mult. Dr med., Dr h.c. Wildor Hollmann (†) 2021
Name, Year of Appointment
Anneliese Schmolke 1978
Helmut Schmidt 1979
Univ.-Prof. Dr Werner Körbs 1981
Maja Lex 1981
Prof. Liselott Diem 1981
Prof. Dr Erwin Meh 1983
Univ.-Prof. Dr Hans-Joachim Lieber 1988
Prof. Dr h.c. Berthold Beitz 1990
Ben Weider 1991
Univ.-Prof. Dr Jürgen Stegemann 1993
Prof. Dr h.c. Willi Daume 1994
Hans Hansen 1995
Hans Rohe 1996
Yariv Oren 1997
Dr h.c. Johannes Eulering 1997
Univ.-Prof. Dr Christiane Stang-Voss 2001
Univ.-Prof. Dr Dr h.c. Joachim Mester 2001
Professor Dr Dietrich Quanz 2004
Jaime Andreú Romeo 2004
Professor Dr Wilhelm Kleine 2011
Name, Year of Appointment
Aryeh Halevi
Theo Bischof
Peter Weiand
Klaus Hartmann
Hermann Sommer 1981
Wilhelm Deuker 1981
Rik Voorheist 1981
Juan Antonio Samaranch 1981
Theo Burauen 1981
Prof. Dr h.c. Willi Daume 1981
Hugo Rüngener 1981
Dr Noelle 1982