Harald Schmied (13 May 1968 - 14 October 2018[1][2]) was the Head of Communication & Fundraising of the Caritas Steiermark and was the founder - together with Mel Young - of the Homeless World Cup. He was married, had two sons and lived in Graz, Austria.
Life
editHe grew up on Feistritz bei Knittelfeld, the son of the long-time mayor and director of the primary school, Heinz Schmied. After finishing the secondary school in Knittelfeld and attending the Senior High School in Shakopee, Minnesota[3] he studied in Graz. From 1998 he was the chief editor of the street newspaper Das Megaphon. At a conference in Kapstadt he created together with Mel Young the idea of an international soccer-tournament with homeless people building the teams. This tournament - later called the Homeless World Cup - took place at first time in 2003 in the city centre of Graz, European Capital of Culture that year. In 2004 he left Megaphon and worked solely for the development of the Homeless World Cup.
Honours
editIn March 2004 Harald Schmied received the Menschenrechtspreis des Landes Steiermark from Landeshauptfrau Waltraud Klasnic.[4] On 26 August he and Mel Young received the UEFA Charity Cheque which was handed over by Ronaldinho. The prize was worth one million Swiss franc. In March 2017 he received the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria for cofounding and organization of the Homeless World Cup.[5] In December 2017 Schmied and Gilbert Prilasnig were awarded with the Grazer Menschenrechtspreis.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Trauer um Erfinder des Homeless World Cup". Kronen Zeitung. Graz. October 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "Homeless World Cup co-founder Harald Schmied passes away". UEFA. Graz. October 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ Mit Rotary ein Jahr in den USA. In: Murtaler Zeitung, 21 September 1985 (viewable in Steiermärkisches Landesarchiv)
- ^ "Engagement für Menschen mit besonderen Bedürfnissen". kommunikation.steiermark.at. Graz. April 2004. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "Goldenes Verdienstzeichen an "Alaba der Kommunikation" Harald Peter Schmied". caritas-steiermark.at. Graz. March 2017. Archived from the original on 11 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ "Symbolfiguren ausgezeichnet. Menschenrechtspreisverleihung 2017 im Grazer Rathaus". graz.at. Graz. December 2017. Archived from the original on 15 October 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2020.