Passau, November 23, 2025: At a ceremony in Passau, Kaufmann was presented with the Passauer Neue Presse's Menschen in Europa award by publisher Angelika Diekmann for his artistic contributions and social commitment. This year, Kaufmann is the patron of the Christmas donation campaign organized by Mediengruppe Bayern in cooperation with SOS Kinderdörfer, which will benefit around 10,000 children in Ethiopia. “Children are the weakest link in our society, and in times of war, famine, or other disasters, they are usually defenseless,” the singer emphasized in a panel discussion with Arabella Kiesbauer; as a father of four children, he said it was particularly important to him to provide help in this area. In his laudatory speech, Thomas Gottschalk described himself as a big fan of the singer, calling him the “George Clooney of opera.” Here is the link to the recording of the event.

Presenter Arabella Kiesbauer, Jonas Kaufmann, Menschen in Europa initiator Angelika Diekmann, laudator Thomas Gottschalk, and CEO of SOS Kinderdörfer weltweit Lanna Idriss. Photo: J. Schlegel

Recently, I had the great honor to accompany Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier as cultural representative in his delegation during his visit to Austria. This three day visit was the first of his kind after 28 years, and comprised of many special events, including visits to sites of cultural and economic significance in Vienna and in Tirol. We celebrated the opening of the new German embassy in Vienna, where I performed together with Helmut Deutsch pieces by the Austrian Johann Strauß and the German Richard Strauss - demonstrating the unity and friendship these two countries enjoy. As a citizen of both countries, and as a European, I worshiped the inspiring encounters and discussions. At a time when so much seems to divide us, it was wonderful to celebrate the special friendship that exists between Germany and Austria. Jonas Kaufmann
Photo: Bundesregierung / Guido Bergmann