Dankesworte an Riane Eisler
The internationally renowned evolutionary and cultural theorist Riane Eisler was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, First Class, on December 3, 2025, in recognition of her life’s work in her country of birth.
„Dear Riane, liebe Riane, liebe Chaje,
today we celebrate not only your extraordinary life’s work – we celebrate you: your heart, your wisdom, and the clarity with which you look at this world.
You are not only one of the great thinkers of our time. You are one of those rare voices who unite scientific analysis, interdisciplinary research, moral clarity, and a profoundly human insight into an unshakable whole.
From the horrors, from the unspeakable Nazi crimes committed here in Austria, you were able to escape as a child – to save your life. And out of this wounded, surviving childhood you created something profound, something that reaches far into the world.
You have shown us that true strength lies in care, that peace begins in relationships, and that a partnership-based world is more than a hope – it is a lived possibility, something deeply human.
Especially through your work on a Caring Economy, you have transformed our understanding of economics. You show with absolute clarity that the most valuable contributions a society makes – the things that render economies successful and resilient – are not found in financial statements but in the care people give one another, in the value creation that arises when we place care, healthcare, and education at the very core of all economic activity.
You have made visible that economics begins where people are nourished, educated, cared for, and supported – and that sustainable prosperity can emerge only where care can flourish, where care is not invisible, but placed at the center of our thinking and our actions.
I feel deeply connected to you and your work. Your thoughts, your analyses, your clarity of vision, your courageous thinking, your insights on partnership systems, and your kindness move me again and again.
It fills me with joy and appreciation that the country of your birth, that Austria is today awarding you the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, First Class, and recognizing you and your life’s work. It means a lot to me that the Republic of Austria is honouring you. It cannot change the past, but it brings some reconciliation. It shows responsibility, and it reminds us that saving one life can change the world.
Thank you, Riane, vielen Dank Riane, for your vision, your clarity, and the radiant trust in humanity that you give to all of us. I will keep working to make our economy more wonderful, more powerful, more caring — and I will do it in the spirit of partnership.”
Yours, Elisabeth
Elisabeth Sechser, 3rd of Dezember 2025, vienna, Austria