KDE Founder Awarded Order

Matthias Ettrich, founder of the KDE project , is presented on November 6 for Germany’s highest civilian award, the Federal Cross of Merit. This order is awarded by the President of Germany for outstanding achievements in politics, economics, culture and other fields. Matthias was awarded for his contribution to the development of free software, the 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 history of the award (he is 37 years old).

The birth date of the KDE project is considered October 14, 1996, when Matthias published his famous letterin the newsgroup Usenet and announced a set of programmers. In the first days, several dozen volunteers gathered. As a result, one of the most effective and prolific communities in the world of Open Source was created. Moreover, the development of the KDE project has influenced the entire evolution of Unix, shifting the emphasis from server to desktop systems.

On the topic
Interview with Matthias Ettrihom