Award of Lithuanian notariat presented to three prominent German notaries

A moment from the broadcast of the event: speech by H.-J. Massing, front row: R. Mackeprang (left), H.-J. Assenmacher

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Koblenz Chamber of Notaries, the Presidium of the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries has decided to award three prominent German lawyers for their help and cooperation in the development and consolidation of the model of the Latin notariat in Lithuania.

Juozas Vilkutaitis-Keturakis medals, the awards of Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries, has been presented to:

- Honorary President of the German Koblenz Chamber of Notaries, Justice Councillor Hans-Joachim Massing,

- Hans-Jörg Assenmacher, former Governor of the German Koblenz Chamber of Notaries, Notary of Koblenz, and

- Dr Rudolf Mackeprang, former Governor of the Chamber of Notaries of Koblenz, Germany, and Notary of Bad Kreuznach.

The three distinguished German lawyers were honoured on the evening of 19 November during a ceremony at the Koblenz Notary Chamber, with representatives of the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries participating online.

After Lithuania regained its independence in 1990, notaries from Koblenz began to assist Lithuania in the drafting of a new Notarial Law, explaining to the authorities and the public how the Latin notarial system was superior to the state system. On 1 December 1992, the Lithuanian Notarial Law, drafted with the help of German notaries, came into force, but the cooperation between Lithuania and the Koblenz Chamber of Notaries continued. Colleagues from Koblenz took part in many joint conferences, seminars and colloquia, visited Lithuanian authorities.

The Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries awards the Juozas Vilkutaitis-Keturakis Medal for special merits in the field of notariat and its strengthening. Juozas Vilkutaitis-Keturakis, the notary of Prienai in 30's and 40's of the 20th century, wrote the first Lithuanian theatre comedy. This notary was chosen as a symbol that a representative of the notary profession can be well-known and significant on a nationwide scale, in various spheres of life.

The first foreign notaries to be awarded this medal were Richard Bock and Hans-Dieter Lohnes, the notaries of the Koblenz Notary Chamber.