Europa-Park's managing director Jürgen Mack is honoured with the Federal Cross of Merit

On behalf of the Federal President Horst Köhler, Helmut Rau MdL, undersecretary of state in the Culture Ministry of Baden-Württemberg, has awarded the Federal Cross of Merit to Jürgen Mack, managing director of Europa-Park. The ceremonial act took place in Europa-Park's new 4-star superior hotel Colosseo. With this award, Helmut Rau not only honoured Jürgen Mack's outstanding entrepreneurial personality, but especially his social commitment. "Jürgen Mack is an outstanding entrepreneurial personality in our country. He combines a lot of entrepreneurial courage with vision and an exemplary social commitment?, said Rau in his speech. His brother Roland was honoured with the Federal Cross of Merit in 1999, his father Franz in 1997. This year, Europa-Park celebrates its 30^th anniversary. With 3,7 million visitors per year, it is the largest seasonal leisure park worldwide.

Undersecretary of state in the Culture Ministry of Baden-Württemberg Helmut Rau MdL has awarded Jürgen Mack the Federal Cross of Merit on June 28^th in Rust. The managing director of Europa-Park, who was born in 1958 in Freiburg is honoured for the socially-oriented corporate culture. "Jürgen Mack is an outstanding entrepreneurial personality in our country. He combines a lot of entrepreneurial courage with vision and an exemplary social commitment?, said Rau. He especially emphasised Mack's dedication to children suffering from cancer and for deprived persons.

According to Rau, Jürgen Mack and his brother Roland "have carried on the success story of the family business to become the largest and best-attended leisure park in Germany with innovations and courageous entrepreneurial decisions?. The result is impressive: From 1997 until 2004, the number of visitors has increased from 2,7 to 3,7 million.

In 2003, Europa-Park was the most popular tourist destination in Germany, apart from the Cologne Cathedral. With approximately 3.000 employees, the leisure park is the largest employer in the Upper Rhine region. With the opening of the new hotel "Colosseo? in June 2004, 300 new jobs were created. "Europa-Park is an important economic factor with a very good reputation not only as a leisure park, but also as a location for events and conferences?, emphasised Rau. The outstanding success of the exceptional entrepreneurial achievements was confirmed with several highly distinguished national and international awards in the past. Just recently, Europa-Park was the only German leisure park and the only family business, which was elected among the ten best theme parks in the world by the business magazine "Forbes?. In addition, Europa-Park was honoured with the Italian "Parksmania Award? as the best European leisure park for the third time in 2005.

Undersecretary of state in the Culture Ministry of Baden-Württemberg Helmut Rau MdL also appreciated Jürgen Mack's social commitment. Europa-Park continuously offers activities such as the "Tour of Hope? in aid of children suffering of leukaemia or cancer and supports the work of social organisations with charity events. "An expression of Europa-Park's management philosophy is also the fact, that every year tens of thousands of socially deprived persons are invited to Europa-Park.? Moreover, it is very important to Jürgen Mack, that Europa-Park lives up to its name and therefore contributes strongly to the international understanding and to the European union. One example is the organisation of the international music festival "Euromusique? with more than 3.600 children and young persons from Germany, Switzerland and France. "Jürgen Mack always wants to meet the expectations of the visitors and of his employees?, said Rau. This includes for example the annually organised oecomenical service for the approximately 150 artists from 20 different countries. And of course, it is very important to the managers of the family business, that Europa-Park is always setting trends when it comes to being suitable for families and children.