In memory of the life and work of Stefan Heym, the son and honorary citizen of the city, the city of Chemnitz is once again offering the International Stefan Heym Sponsorship Awards. Entries can be submitted from now until 15 September 2026. This can be done directly online in the participation portal at www.chemnitz.de/heym_foerderpreise. Further information on the call for entries and the conditions of participation can also be found there.
The International Stefan Heym Prizes are awarded in particular to projects and initiatives in the fields of art, culture, science and research or the preservation of Stefan Heym's legacy. Own journalistic or artistic works can also be supported, provided they deal critically, courageously and productively with questions of our present (also in their historical context and their possible future form) in the spirit of Stefan Heym.
Pupils, individuals and school classes who are interested in history, literature or politics in the spirit of Stefan Heym and would like to engage with social issues are invited to submit their own projects. Work created in class or as a joint class project can also be considered. The form of the projects is open.
For example, podcasts, exhibitions, social media projects, theatre plays, research work or other school or creative formats can be submitted. The decisive factor is that an independent and reflective examination of social issues, literature or critical thinking can be recognised.
The projects selected by the jury will be honoured with prize money. Sponsorship prizes totalling 20,000 euros will be awarded. Who receives these prizes is decided by the Board of Trustees for the International Stefan Heym Prize. The patron of the Board of Trustees is Inge Heym. The sponsored projects are to be realised within the next three years until the next International Stefan Heym Prize is awarded in 2029.
International Stefan Heym Prize of the City of Chemnitz
The International Stefan Heym Prizes are awarded every three years as part of the International Stefan Heym Prize of the City of Chemnitz. Since 2008, the prize has honoured contemporary and courageous personalities who, like Stefan Heym, have made outstanding and lasting achievements as writers and publicists.
This year, the poet, writer, essayist and translator Yuri Andrukhovych will receive the International Stefan Heym Prize of the City of Chemnitz. Lord Mayor Sven Schulze will present the literary prize, which is endowed with 20,000 euros, on 18 April 2026. The award ceremony will also open the 35th Days of Jewish Culture Chemnitz, which will take place from 18 to 26 April 2026.
Background
Stefan Heym was born in Chemnitz in 1913. As a Jewish journalist who was critical of the regime, he had to flee into exile from the National Socialists in 1933. After the Second World War, he returned to Germany and lived in the GDR, where he repeatedly confronted state censorship as a critical author. Even after German reunification, he remained politically engaged and campaigned for democracy and freedom of opinion as an independent intellectual. Stefan Heym was the oldest member of the Bundestag in 1994. In this capacity, he opened the constituent session of the 13th parliamentary term on 10 November 1994. In his opening speech, he found cautionary words on German history.
www.chemnitz.de/heympreis
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