We congratulate Barbara and Christoph Promberger on being awarded the Federal Cross of Merit – a recognition of their decades-long commitment to protecting Romania’s forests and biodiversity.
Barbara and Christoph Promberger Awarded the Federal Cross of Merit
Berlin/Făgăraș, 2 December 2025 – Barbara and Christoph Promberger, founders of the Foundation Conservation Carpathia, were awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany yesterday at Schloss Bellevue. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier honoured the couple for their decades-long commitment to nature conservation – in particular for their efforts to protect natural forests and biodiversity in Romania’s Făgăraș Mountains.
At the heart of their work is the goal of establishing Europe’s largest forest national park in the Southern Carpathians – essentially a Yellowstone for Europe – a significant contribution to the global 30×30 target of placing thirty percent of the world’s land and marine areas under protection by 2030.
“Of course, we did not expect to receive the Federal Cross of Merit for our work, but moments like these give us the motivation to continue advancing our conservation project. We accept this special honour on behalf of all the people who have accompanied us on our journey so far, and we hope that this project will continue to inspire people in the future to commit themselves to protecting these remarkable forests,” said Christoph Promberger.
With their foundation, the Prombergers purchase, among other things, forest areas to protect them permanently, restore deforested slopes by planting young trees, strengthen local communities through education and social projects, and support the return of endangered species such as the European bison. Around 280 square kilometres are now under protection, and a further 805 square kilometres are regularly monitored by ranger patrols. In total, approximately 4.5 million trees have already been newly planted.
In the official letter accompanying the award, it states:
“The couple Christoph Promberger and Barbara Promberger-Fürpass are committed in an outstanding manner to preserving the Romanian forests and their exceptional biodiversity. […] With the reintroduction of additional species, Romania will soon have the first European area with a completely original fauna.”
A close partnership has existed for years between the Foundation Conservation Carpathia and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (ZGF). ZGF supports the project financially – an investment in preserving one of Europe’s most important wilderness areas. The Prombergers’ vision, implemented together with local stakeholders, stands as an exemplary model of successful cooperation combining nature conservation, community benefit, and international collaboration.
The award ceremony took place on Romania’s national holiday – a symbolic day for a country whose untouched forest wilderness is unique in Europe. The Prombergers originally came to Romania as wildlife biologists to study wolves. Today, they are actively shaping the future of a large protected area that is of global importance not only for biodiversity but also for climate protection.