Upon the suggestion of Interuniversity Centre Dubrovnik (IUC), President of Republic of Croatia Mrs. Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, has awarded Prof. dr. Richard Wisser from University of Mainz with the Order of the Croatian Star with the Effigy of Katarina Zrinski for special merits in health care, social care and promotion of moral social values and significant humanitarian help to the city of Dubrovnik during the War for Independence. Mr. Nikola Dobroslavić, President of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, as an official representative of the President of Croatia presented the Order to Prof. Wisser, in Dubrovnik, on 24 March 2017.

Prof. dr. Richard Wisser was born in Worms on 5 January 1927. He studied philosophy, psychology and comparative cultural studies at University of Mainz. In 1954 he was promoted to Dr. Phil. by Prof. Dr. Fritz-Joachim von Rintelen at University of Mainz with the dissertation about Leibniz and Vico. His main research areas are philosophy of Karl Jaspers and Martin Heidegger.

From 1979 to 1991 Prof. Richard Wisser, in cooperation with late Prof. Branko Bošnjak from University of Zagreb organised number of philosophical courses, in which each year, besides more than 10 lecturers, participated over 30 students from all parts of the world, mostly from Germany, Croatia, other parts of former Yugoslavia, Turkey, Netherland and USA.

From the beginning of the aggression on Dubrovnik, Prof. Wisser sent significant humanitarian aid, mostly in medicine, according to the list submitted by the Dubrovnik General Hospital as the most needed. He wrote about the attack on Dubrovnik in German press and wrote number of poems dedicated to Dubrovnik, its tradition and cultural heritage. Prof. Wisser was among the first foreign visitors who came to Dubrovnik in spring 1993 and with friends from Mainz organised donations of help for the burnt and destroyed villages of Dubrovnik surroundings, especially to the village Dubravica.

In cooperation with colleagues from University of Hamburg and some other German universities, he took part in collecting donations for the rebuilding of the burnt IUC building.

The President of the Region, Mr. Nikola Dobroslavić stated that it is his great pleasure to award the State Order to Prof. Wisser.

Prof. Wisser thanked for the award that he received in the presence of his German and Turkish colleagues, professors Schüz, Kucuradi, Bucher, Dr. Schüz, and representatives of Interuniversity Centre Dubrovnik, Director General Prof. Krunoslav Pisk and Mrs. Berta Dragičević, General Secretary of the IUC, who helped in initiating the award procedure. In his speech, Prof. Wisser especially recalled his longstanding academic programmes at the IUC, his engagement during and after the war activities in helping people of Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik region. Prof. Wisser is recognised as a true friend of Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik and Croatia.