At The 5.th Donaldistic
Seminar held at the annual grand-meeting of South-Nordic Academy of
Donaldism in January 2006, the nominees for the Annual Ludwig von
Drake Award (ALDA) 2005 were presented to the learned assembly in
accordance with the written recommendations earlier delivered. Rector Gjøgsig
then revealed the names of this year's committee of judges, which incidentally
had to be adjusted, as one of the judges was still missing after fleeing the
country in 2004 (Donaldistic science can, indeed, be a rough business), but
finally the following committee was appointed:
Being presented with the recommendations, the committee of judges after a brief consideration was able to announce its final decision, as the judges - in rare harmony - had elected the winner of ALDA 2005:
Horst von Buttlar, Financial Times Deutschland
South-Nordic Academy of Donaldism hereby congratulates reporter and editor Horst von Buttlar of Financial Times Deutschland with winning the ALDA 2005. We hope he will receive this mark of honour as a professional recognition of his bringing focus to Academic-Donaldistic issues outside the school's traditional environment - as well as being the first at all to take up a question of serious Academic-Donaldistic importance. In the following, we bring the recommendation for Mr von Buttlar's nomination given by Dr Petra Grozvits (Den Donaldistiske Doktorforening for Dyresygdomme i den Dansksprogede Del af Ditmarsken (D.D.D.D.D.D.D.)):
On behalf of S.A.D. south of the border, I hereby recommend reporter Horst von Buttlar of Financial Times Deutschland for nomination to the Annual Ludwig von Drake Award 2005. The reason for this honour is that with his article (in Financial Times Deutschland on 20 October 2005) he has brought attention to a potential disaster of horrific dimensions in Duckburg:
The entire existence of Duckburg is threatened. The city is caught completely unprepared for the meeting with bird flu. Even the Junior Woodchuck's Guide Book knows nothing of any antibodies, and Uncle Scrooge is reluctant to buy sufficient supplies of Tamiflu. Although Gyro Gearloose and Little Helper are currently working on a hydro-pneumatic Virus-Infector, which infects virus to the virus itself, they will need a couple of more days to complete it. It is outrageous that most Donaldists seem completely indifferent with this threat. (Translated and slightly edited by S.A.D.; for the entire and original article in German, see below.)
Not only has Mr von Buttlar raised an Academic-Donaldistic question of great seriousness, he also - and not without cause - go on to criticize the established Donaldistic society for neglecting to take up the question itself, and thereby rejecting to take responsibility or even to show proper concern for the health conditions of the Ducks. Certainly, this straightening-out has had its effects on South-Nordic Academy of Donaldism, where several studies on the topic have been performed afterwards:
Worth mentioning is, of course, also the initiative of the Academy to send out young Palle Damgaard (stud.don.), who at this very moment (December 2005) is posted somewhere in Utterslev Moor with field-binoculars, hot camomile tea, and several packets of Tamiflu® for instant treatment of any valetudinarian ducks. After a series of frosty nights, he has recently become quite sick, but due to the gravity of the situation, we dare not call off the operation. In stead, we have allowed him to take a cup of the camomile tea himself: Our thoughts are with you, Palle!
All these great efforts made by the Academy in response to the bird-flu threat to Duckburg can for a large part be attributed Mr Horst von Buttlar. His quite outright article - which still held so much warmth - made us all aware that for a moment we had to put our own petty problems aside and straighten out our priorities. Such an accomplishment is indeed worthy an ALDA-nomination.
The ALDA-committee fully seconds the arguments given by Dr Grozvits. Furthermore, we may add that we find it most creditable that the whole question is taken up in a leading financial newspaper. Indeed, seen from a South-Nordic perspective, it is quite enviable that German Donaldism is blessed with such alert surroundings; for comparison, Donaldistic features are regrettably sparse in both Børsen and the finance section of Jyllands-Posten! Our humble hope is, however, that the Donaldistic wake-up call of Mr Horst von Buttlar not only has reached several Danish readers of Financial Times Deutschland, but also has set an example for South-Nordic financial medias in the future.
However that may be, we hereby send our best congratulations to Mr von Buttlar together with an actual diploma to remind him of this great honour; something which will hopefully bring him much justified credit - and, indeed, perhaps some envy - among his colleagues at the newspaper office.
Original version of Horst von Buttlar's article in Financial Times Deutschland 20 October, 2005
»Viel,
sehr viel wurde geschrieben in den letzten Tagen über die Vogelgrippe. Was
indes völlig ausgeblendet wurde, ist die große Gefahr für die Familie Duck,
die von dem Virus ausgeht. Dagobert, Donald, Tick, Trick und Track, kurz: Ganz
Entenhausen ist in seiner Existenz bedroht. Das wird auch das
Robert-Koch-Institut kaum bestreiten. Der Stand der Dinge: Entenhausen trifft
die Vogelgrippe völlig unvorbereitet (zitter, bibber). Selbst in dem schlauen
Buch von Tick, Trick und Track steht nichts über einen Impfstoff drin, während
Onkel Dagobert sich weigert, größere Mengen Tamiflu anzuschaffen. Daniel Düsentrieb
und Helferlein (ächz, stöhn) arbeiten zwar an einem hydropneumatischen
Virus-Infecter, der Viren selbst ein Virus verpasst, doch sie werden sicher noch
einige Tage brauchen.
Ein Skandal ist, dass viele Donaldisten (Donaldismus ist die hagiographische Beschäftigung mit der Familie Duck und Entenhausen) die Bedrohung völlig kalt lässt. Auf der Homepage (www.donald.org) kein Wort von der Vogelgrippe. Die Fachliteratur? Es gibt Abhandlungen über "Klima in Entenhausen" über "Entität des Inneren Donaldismus" und "Die Auswirkungen des Permutations-Syndroms auf die Lebensqualität in Entenhausen". In den Foren wird munter weiter debattiert, ob Daisy Gustav oder Donald liebt, Oma Duck die Schwester von Dagobert und welche Ente schwul ist. Das Schicksal von Entenhausen aber scheint allen ziemlich egal zu sein. Grrmpfh!«
Reactions of the press and the winner
The conferment of the ALDA 2005 has received the following commentary in Financial Times Deutschland on 7 February, 2006 (p. 27):
»Am 20. Oktober 2005 enthüllte „Das Letzte“ unter der Überschrift „Zitter! Bibber! Ächz! Stöhn! Grrrmph!“ eine existenzielle Bedrohnung der Familie Donald Ducks und ganz Entenhausens - durch die Vogelgrippe. Unser Autor Horst von Buttlar ist für dieses Pionierstück jetzt mit dem Annual Ludwig von Drake Award (ALDA) 2005 der South-Nordic Academy of Donaldism (SAD) ausgezeichnet worden. Die Akademie ehrt mit dem Preis „praktizierende Gelehrte des Akademischen Donaldismus, die mit ihren Studien und Aktionen das Forschungsgebiet außerhalb der üblichen Zirkel gestärkt und inspiriert haben“. (...) Auch wir gratulieren dem Preisträger!« (Christian Schütte, FTD)
The proud winner himself accepted the price with these words:
»I am deeply honoured to receive The Annual Ludwig von Drake Award 2005 from your academy. Please tell your colleagues my thankfulness, happiness and surprise. The diploma will get an appropriate place in my office. I am especially happy as I also faced criticism of German Donaldists - who, as I assume, felt offended, but knew they neglected this existential question. (...) However, it is for a "leading financial newspaper", as you correctly describe us, a pleasure to comment also on issues that have little effects on financial markets and stock exchange.« (Horst von Buttlar)
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