Minister of Education and Culture, Christine Streichert-Clivot, came to the town hall in Saarlouis for the awarding of the Medal of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to Mr. Sonnet.
After Mayor Peter Demmer welcomed the guests to this extraordinary event in the reception hall, the minister took over the laudation.
The Medal of Merit was awarded to Mr. Sonnet for his extraordinary commitment, especially for the preservation of the organ in the Saarlouis St. Ludwig Church. Over the centuries, the instrument, built before 1706, was repeatedly repaired and expanded. However, during the Second World War, the organ suffered severe damage. In 1980, a new and larger organ was finally installed by an organ-building company from Saarland. To this day, it is considered one of the largest and most powerful instruments in the entire Saarland region.
That this should remain so, Jörg Sonnet once said, "Organs need to be restored every 30 years." Thus, in 2008, the St. Ludwig Organ Construction Association was founded. Together with the then pastor Anton Heidger, and organist and choir director Armin Lamar. With the help of the association, the necessary funds for extensive repairs could now be acquired.
The association organized concerts, matinées, candlelight soirées, and the citizens could even sponsor individual pipes of the total 3,261 pipes. Jörg Sonnet and his colleagues in the association thus succeeded in raising a considerable amount of donations to enable the preservation of the Meyer organ in the Church of St. Ludwig.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in 2017 about the award:
"Commitment to others, to the community, to democratic coexistence – although it often stems from a deeply personal decision and is frequently motivated by highly individual reasons, it is by no means a private matter."
Mayor Peter Demmer, the attending members of the state parliament and parliamentary group leaders of the Saarlouis city council, relatives, friends, and companions joined in the congratulations on the award expressed by Minister Streichert-Clivot.
