KDE Founder Awarded Order

Matthias Ettrich, founder of the KDE project, November 6, presented to Germany’s highest civilian award, the Federal Cross of Merit cross. This order is awarded by the President of Germany for outstanding achievements in politics, economics, culture and other fields. Mattias was awarded for his contribution to the development of free software, specific wording: "for the promotion of innovation and the dissemination of knowledge for the common good." Matthias Ettrich became one of the youngest order bearers in the entire history of the award (he is 37 years old).

The date of birth of the KDE project is October 14, 1996, when Mattias published his famous letter to the Usenet news group and announced the recruitment of programmers. In the first days, a few dozen volunteers gathered. As a result, one of the most efficient and prolific communities in the world of Open Source was created. Moreover, the development of the KDE project has influenced the entire Unix evolution, shifting the emphasis from server to desktop systems.

On this topic
Interview with Matthias Ettrich