Bonn/Berlin, 4 February 2026. This year, computer science student Marian Grau from the University of Konstanz is being honoured as “Student of the Year” by the German National Association for Student Affairs (DSW) and the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV) for his exceptional commitment to supporting families with severely disabled children.
This commitment is closely linked to his own life story: when Marian Grau was nine years old, his brother Marlon, who was almost two years older and severely disabled due to a genetic defect, passed away. Marian, who had lovingly cared for his brother throughout his life, had to cope with this loss, travelled to remote regions of the world, and shortly thereafter shared his unique perspective on life with the public in his book “Bruderherz: I so wish I could have shown you the whole world”.
These profound personal experiences have since given rise to exemplary voluntary work alongside school and university studies: on the one hand as an ambassador for the German Children’s Hospice Association (Deutscher Kinderhospizverein e.V.), and on the other as a patron of Philip Julius e.V. The non-profit organisation, which supports families with children who have multiple severe disabilities, was founded on 22 March 2013 by journalist Katrin Eigendorf and her husband Jörg Eigendorf. It is named after their son Philip Julius, who died at the age of 17 as a result of his severe disabilities.
Both as an ambassador for the German Children’s Hospice Association and as a patron of Philip Julius e.V., Marian Grau appears alongside his studies as an author, speaker and discussion partner in order to raise awareness of the concerns of families with severely disabled children. As part of his engagement with Philip Julius e.V., Marian Grau initiated the programme “From Siblings for Siblings”, a nationwide lighthouse project that is unique in Germany. Marian’s own family history connects him with the young people he supports through the project. He is therefore not only an organiser, but also a constant point of reference and contact person for the siblings. The sibling meetings offer young people the opportunity to exchange ideas and network in a protected space. At the meetings, which take place twice a year, siblings can draw new strength and talk about issues for which there is no room in their families’ everyday lives.
“When a child grows up with a severe disability or passes away, this also shapes the life path of their healthy siblings. In addition to emotional challenges such as worry and grief, they often experience a lack of undivided parental attention as well as a daily routine that is strongly shaped by consideration for the special needs of the family. The project initiated and carried by Marian Grau addresses this issue with pinpoint accuracy. It provides advice and support to young people whose concerns are often given too little attention in our society and offers them stability. This commitment, which is by no means a given, is impressive and admirable,” explain DSW President Professor Dr Beate Schücking and DHV President Professor Dr Dr h.c. Lambert T. Koch jointly in their statement on the award.
The “Student of the Year” award has been presented by the DHV and DSW for the eleventh time. The award honours students who demonstrate outstanding commitment beyond their academic achievements, which should ideally be unique and innovative. In the unanimous opinion of the six-member DHV/DSW jury, Marian Grau fulfils these criteria in a particularly impressive way.
The “Student of the Year” award will be presented on 23 March 2026 in Berlin at the DHV’s “Gala of German Science”. The award includes prize money of 5,000 euros, donated by the Donors’ Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany (Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft). The most recent recipient was Noah Dejanović from the University of Leipzig. As a child, the teacher training student himself experienced physical, psychological and sexualised violence and is committed, among other things, to raising awareness and sensitising students and teaching staff to issues of child welfare endangerment and abuse through the project “Child Protection in Higher Education”.
The DHV/DSW jury:
Dr Yvonne Dorf, Managing Director of the DHV
Dr Matthias Jaroch, DHV Press Officer
Professor Dr Daniela Wawra, University of Passau
Matthias Anbuhl, Chair of the DSW Executive Board
Franziska Bollinger, student member of the Administrative Board of the Studierendenwerk West:Brandenburg and spokesperson of the DSW Student Council
Janik Hellenkamp, student deputy chair of the Administrative Board of the Studierendenwerk Aachen
Media contact at the DHV:
Dr Matthias Jaroch, Press Officer
Rheinallee 18, 53173 Bonn
Tel. +49 228 90266-15
Email jaroch@~@hochschulverband.~.de
This press release online: