Press action medeor

The ‘Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany,’ as it is officially known, was awarded to Thomaßen in recognition of his many years of voluntary service as President of action medeor, as well as his commitment to the Krefeld City Sports Association and the Catholic Poor Relief Foundation (Katholische Armenverwaltung). Together with 19 other distinguished individuals, he was personally honored by the Federal President for his ‘outstanding commitment.’

‘Germany in the World’ was the motto under which the ceremonial decoration ceremony took place at Bellevue Palace. This heading could also aptly describe the commitment of Siegfried Thomaßen. For more than ten years, he has served as the voluntary President of the Tönisvorst‑based medical aid organization action medeor, which pursues a clear vision: that no one should die from treatable diseases.

This is why action medeor is committed worldwide to ensuring access to healthcare for people in need. In the past year alone, the organization shipped more than 18,000 parcels containing medicines and medical equipment and implemented more than 50 humanitarian projects. More than two million people around the world benefited from this commitment last year.

Under the presidency of Siegfried Thomaßen, action medeor has undergone significant development. During his tenure, decisions were made to establish and expand two branches in Tanzania and Malawi, bringing medical aid even closer to where it is needed most. Capacity building in the field of medical technology also took place during his presidency, as did humanitarian assistance in countless disaster and crisis regions.

At the same time, the award recipient, who was born in Krefeld, has for many years been actively engaged at the local level, for example as Deputy Chair of the City Sports Association (SSB) of his hometown. Thomaßen has served as a volunteer member of its executive board for more than 20 years. During this time, he focused particularly on analyzing and sharpening the SSB’s strategic orientation. The ‘Sports Dialogue’ he initiated involved not only the SSB’s member clubs, but also the relevant departments and divisions of the city administration as well as key political decision-makers in the city of Krefeld. The resulting ‘Sports Facilities Commission,’ supported by academic expertise, carried out the first comprehensive assessment of all existing sports facilities in Krefeld’s history and provided impulses for renovation and new construction - an important building block for enabling a future-oriented development of sports in the city.

In order to further advance Krefeld as a ‘city of sport’ with a view toward future development, Thomaßen continues to chair a steering committee composed of representatives from politics, the city administration, and the Krefeld City Sports Association. Under the slogan ‘Krefeld is on the move – naturally,’ this body aims to promote the city’s sports development across all areas of life. The future-oriented project brings together the strengths of various stakeholders, enabling sporting visions for Krefeld’s future to be jointly developed and implemented through close coordination.

Finally, Siegfried Thomaßen has also demonstrated his voluntary commitment for many years as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic Poor Relief Foundation, which operates, among other facilities, the Marianum residential youth care center and two childcare centers in Krefeld. He has been deeply involved in reorienting the foundation to meet future challenges. In addition, he played a key role in the establishment of the non-profit JI Jugendhilfe-Infrastruktur gGmbH, which, among other projects, built the Blumenwiese daycare center in Krefeld, opened in January 2025. Managed by the Catholic Poor Relief Foundation, the center now provides care for 125 children.