The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Horst Koehler, awarded Prof. Dr. Hermann Drewes, IAG Secretary General and Director of the German Geodetic Research Institute (DGFI), the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. The decoration was handed over by the Bavarian Minister for Science, Research and Arts on February 11, 2008. In his eulogy the minister accentuated the work of Hermann Drewes in the new orientation of DGFI’s research programme towards investigations on global geodynamics, in the SIRGAS reference frame integrating all South American countries, and in the international activities within IAG with emphasis on the international cooperation including developing countries. The ceremony was taken as a good opportunity to present Geodesy to the public and to policy makers.