The Prix Italia community has learned with sorrow of the passing of Ursula von Zallinger, a long-time delegate, driving force and above all a true friend of the Prix Italia and a lover of our country. 

Mentioned for the first time among the delegates at the Bologna edition in 1976, she would continue to participate in our festival, year after year, until the Turin editions in 2010s, when she had officially retired from her other duties. As Head of the Prix Jeunesse, she would stay for thirty years at the centre of the international stage of a Public Service broadcasting community tasked with negotiating the complexities of the Cold War, and then navigating the landscape of new media and cultural globalisation. 
 

From a noble Viennese family (Countess Von Zallinger was, in fact, the daughter of the renowed conductor Meinhard von Zallinger), she was gifted with a Mittel-European spirit and culture, extraordinary diplomatic and networking skills, and contagious energy. As recently as 2009, the Prix Italia entrusted her with the care of a generic initiative for young people: in no time, she was able to develop it into an articulate, organic programme of activities that will remain the blueprint for similar Prix initiatives to this day. 

In 2006, when she retired from the Prix Jeunesse, the Prix Italia organised a small ceremony in her honour. We remember her today with the words she spoke on that occasion:

La sola raggione per la mia lunga vita con il Premio Italia era la mia ambizione di amigliorare il mio Italiano! (...)

The truth, of course, lies somewhere totally different: when my festival, the Prix Jeunesse, was launched 40 years ago, Prix Italia already could look back to a sound career as the outstanding and prestigious Radio and TV Festival. It served as a model not only for Prix Jeunesse but for many other festivals around the globe.
 

When asked by ARD's top executives to represent ARD-TV in the Prix Italia Working Group, I was more than honoured.
 

I have met them all, the Prix Italia Secretaries General, starting with il Conte Zaffrani who also was a board-member of Prix Jeunesse. 

With Prix Italia we went up and down and East and West in Italy. If I know this country better than any other, it's because we were not only confined to meeting rooms but taken around to unique monuments, churches, palaces and whatnot. Prix Italia always rolled out the red carpet and splurged on us in the most gracious way. 
 

And yes, I have made friends at Prix Italia. Some have long left their jobs but quite a number are still around.(...)

Thank you all for your friendship, for your support, for your graciousness and your indulgence whenever I was too pushy in a meeting. Working for Prix Italia was great fun, I will miss it.

We will miss you too, Uli. Thank you for your invaluable contribution to our legacy.