Federal Cross of Merit for Thilo Panzerbieter

Date

October 19, 2025

Berlin's Mayor and Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Franziska Giffey, awarded GTO Managing Director Thilo Panzerbieter the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on 20 January 2025.

With the founding of the German Toilet Organization in 2005, Thilo has done pioneering work and has since been tirelessly committed to improving sanitation and hygiene – in Germany and worldwide. As spokesperson for the German WASH Network, Thilo has been putting WASH on the political agenda and in the public eye since 2011 with his tireless motivation and hard work.

Franziska Giffey praised him at the award ceremony with the words:
"Thilo Panzerbieter has changed the lives of many people for the better with his extraordinary commitment, perseverance and persuasiveness. Through his work, he has brought an issue that was long considered taboo – sanitation – to the forefront of social and political attention. Through his creative and continuous public relations work, Thilo Panzerbieter has made a decisive contribution to ensuring that sanitation and hygiene are now recognised as fundamental prerequisites for development and equal opportunities."

What drives Thilo, as well as all other team members at GTO, is the belief that every human being should have access to clean water, safe sanitation and basic hygiene (WASH). Because WASH means health, justice, dignity and equal opportunities!

The Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises issued a press release on the occasion of the award ceremony (in German): 20251020_pm-senwienbe-bundesverdienstkreuz-thilo-panzerbieter.pdf