ÖWF Polarstern Award 2009 goes to Michael Köberl

"Our generation needs people who engage themself in astronomy and space flight regardless of duty, without prospect of reward and beyond obligations." believes Olivia Haider, this years Award sponsor. 
We found such an individual: Michael Köberl from Bruck an der Mur (Styria, Austria) is -since many, many years- a passionate collector of space memorabilia, and is known beyond Austrian borders. There is hardly an astronaut, cosmonaut or taikonaut, from whom he has not (yet) organized autographs, a plethora of hardware - parts of the space shuttle heat shield as well as flown Austrian pennon on space station MIR- they are all parts of his extraordinaire collection.
"The reason, why the Austrian Space Forum awarded Micheal the Polarstern Award is not only because of his remarkable passion for collectibles" says OeWF President Mag. Gernot Grömer, "but because he facilitates the public display of these objects for a broad public: there is rarely a space exhibition in Austria, were you cannot find an object from the "Köberls'" space collection."

The Award was handed to Michael in Vienna during the Yuris Night 2009 celebrations, on the occasion of the anniversary of Yuri Gagarins first flight into space. The award comes with 800 € and a throphy which was made especially for this award. Congratulations from the Austrian Space Forum!