Chemnitz Peace Prize

One of the highlights of the Chemnitz Peace Day on 5 March is the awarding of the Chemnitz Peace Prize in the city hall. The Chemnitz Peace Prize has been awarded since 2004 by the citizens' association Für Chemnitz in cooperation with the City of Chemnitz Crime Prevention Council and the City of Chemnitz Migration Officer.

The Peace Prize honours and recognises ideas, initiatives and projects that promote and support the non-violent coexistence of different cultures in Chemnitz. The prize consists of a sculpture designed by Chemnitz sculptor Erik Neukirchner and prize money. The jury can award three prizes and one prize of honour.

The Chemnitz Peace Prize is intended to encourage reflection and action and support non-violent coexistence. Projects and ideas that are strong in this sense are evaluated and honoured by a jury of well-known Chemnitz personalities.

Initiatives and associations, educational and leisure facilities for children and young people as well as Chemnitz residents who are committed to the above-mentioned causes were invited to submit suitable proposals.

On 1 March, the Citizens' Association FUER CHEMNITZ e. V., in cooperation with the City of Chemnitz Migration Officer, Etelka Kobuß, presented the Chemnitz Peace Prize for the 21st time in the City Council Chamber of Chemnitz Town Hall.

This year's first prize was awarded to the organisers and initiators of the "Language Café" project. The project, which is unique in Saxony, brings together many people from 20 nations every week to exchange ideas in German.

The second prize went to the artist couple Alke and Michael Schmidt, who have been opening up their private home for decades to exchange ideas with migrants in an informal atmosphere.

The third prize was awarded to Gabriele Engelhardt. She has shown outstanding commitment against right-wing extremist activities, in favour of democratic coexistence and as spokesperson for the civil society alliance "Stand up against racism" in Chemnitz.

Doris Müller received the prize of honour. During the period of mass unemployment immediately after the GDR joined the Federal Republic of Germany, she did everything she could to help people who suddenly found themselves in completely insecure circumstances.

The Children and Youth Prize went to Luisa Frieden. She is currently involved in an international voluntary service programme at the Majdanek concentration camp memorial in Lublin (Poland).

On 1 September 2022, the Citizens' Association FUER CHEMNITZ e. V., in cooperation with the City of Chemnitz's Migration Officer, Etelka Kobuß, presented the Chemnitz Peace Prize for the 19th time in the City Council Chamber of Chemnitz Town Hall.

This year, Lukas Stern e. V. was honoured with the first prize. People who are seriously ill are usually invisible. Founded in 2016, the Lukas Stern e.V. association has set itself the task of fulfilling the heartfelt wishes of seriously ill people.

The second prize went to Hans Viktor Alexis Fährmann. His themes are mutual understanding, communication and the elimination of prejudices as the basis for peaceful coexistence.

The third prize was awarded to UNICEF AG Chemnitz. For over 30 years, the UNICEF Chemnitz working group in our region has been committed to implementing children's rights worldwide.

The 2022 honourary prize winner is Renate Aris. Born in Dresden in 1936, Renate Aris escaped the suffering of the vast majority of Jewish citizens at the time: deportation to a concentration camp. Renate Aris was awarded the 2022 Chemnitz Peace Prize in recognition of her life's work as a committed citizen for democracy and peaceful coexistence and in honour of her achievements for the Jewish community in Chemnitz.

The Children and Youth Prize goes to Jakob Dost. In 2021, high school student Jakob Dost began researching the history of the Jewish community in Chemnitz and made the film "Wir bleiben da - 135 Jahre jüdische Geschichte Chemnitz" (We're here to stay - 135 years of Jewish history in Chemnitz).

On the eve of the Chemnitz Peace Day, the 17th Chemnitz Peace Prize as well as an honour award and, for the first time, a children's and youth prize were awarded in the city council chamber of the town hall. The 16-member jury selected the winners from almost 40 proposals.

First place was awarded to the PERLA project - visiting service in the red-light district in Chemnitz. The volunteers involved in the project, which was founded in 2017, seek contact with prostitutes in order to show them appreciation in their difficult situation, build trust and help the women. For their tireless and selfless commitment on the margins of society, the PERLA representatives received the first prize of 500 euros as well as the Peace Prize sculpture by sculptor Erik Neukirchner. The laudatory speech was given by Nancy Gibson, Director of the Municipal Music School.

This year's second prize went to the Chemnitzer Bürgerfest e.V. association. With the organisation of "Herzschlag - Das Chemnitzer Bürgerfest", a festival for everyone, one year after the events of summer 2018, the association proved that this city can celebrate peacefully and cheerfully. As the world looked at Chemnitz with interest, it was clear to the association that doing nothing would not improve the image of Chemnitz. For its strong signal and commitment, the association received the 2nd prize, which is endowed with 300 euros. Ronald Langhoff from the State Office for Schools and Education gave the laudatory speech.

The jury awarded third place to Horizont. Magazine from Chemnitz - for everyone. Refugees have their say in this magazine. People who are usually reported on a lot, but who are rarely given a space for their own voices. The magazine reports - in print and online - on the experiences of refugees, their lives and their successes. It is characterised by high-quality texts and high-quality graphics. The prize is endowed with 200 euros. The laudatory speech was given by Thiemo Kirmse, a member of the DIE LINKE city association.

The honorary prize was awarded to Dr Hans Brenner. Through his decades of historical research, he has helped to ensure that the crimes of German fascism are not forgotten. His meticulous work has enabled him to track down many unknown details about concentration camps, forced labour and death marches in Saxony. The winner of the honour was also presented with a sculpture by the sculptor Erik Neukirchner. Dr Hans Brenner was honoured with a laudatory speech by Sabine Kühnrich from the AG Friedenstag.

For the first time, the jury awarded a children's and youth prize. This went to the theatre team from Einsiedel Grammar School. The pupils of the team received the prize for their self-written theatre play "Tage/Bücher", which is about integration and tolerance and in which they deal with everyday bullying and the right-wing extremist riots in Chemnitz in August 2018. They show that there is more to Chemnitz and that it should not be reduced to this event. However, their play also reminds us that we should accept everyone for who they are. The prize was worth 300 euros. The laudatory speech was given by Ute Spindler, the city's children and youth representative.

On the eve of the Chemnitz Peace Day, the 16th Chemnitz Peace Prize and an honorary prize were awarded on 4 March in the city council chamber in the town hall.

The jury scrutinised numerous proposals and awarded first place this year to Human Aid Collective e.V. The association, founded in November 2015, has so far transported more than 41 tonnes of medical equipment, aids and baby food to camps and crisis areas, as well as more than 5,000 Love Boxes with children's clothing, toys and learning materials for refugee children. The organisation will receive 500 euros and a sculpture by sculptor Erik Neukirchner.

In second place, the jury selected the association Nachhall e.V. for its exemplary work on the Sonnenberg against the appropriation strategies of right-wing extremist activists and for people from different social classes and backgrounds. The organisation received 300 euros.

The jury voted the "Buntmacherinnen - Lichterwege" campaign into third place. The members of the initiative wanted to let Chemnitz shine in a brighter light than the events in Chemnitz at the end of August by means of light trails from the Jewish community to the Park of the Victims of Fascism with various stations. The prize is endowed with 200 euros.

An honorary prize was awarded to Iris Tätzel-Machute. She ran the Lila Villa women's centre for many years and has been advising bi-national couples for years and is responsible for the stage programme at the annual opening of the Intercultural Days in Chemnitz. Iris Tätzel-Machute is committed far beyond her social work to a curious coexistence of different cultures and is a tireless advocate of tolerance and respect in Chemnitz. The winner of the honour will also receive a sculpture by the sculptor Erik Neukirchner.

In the run-up to the Peace Day, the Chemnitz Peace Prize was awarded on 2 March in the City Council Chamber of Chemnitz Town Hall.

This year's first prize was awarded to Different People e. V. - a counselling and communication centre for homosexual, a-, bisexual, transgender and intersex people, their relatives and all interested parties. The foundation stone for the organisation was laid in 2002. For their tireless work in favour of acceptance of LGBTTIAQ* love and life realities, for the reduction of prejudice and their commitment against discrimination of any kind, the association receives 500 euros as well as a sculpture by the sculptor Erik Neukirchner.

The second prize and 300 euros go to the Chemnitzer City e. V. citizens' initiative, which was founded in 2006. The association works in the interests of the residents of the city centre and at the same time promotes the urbanity and attractiveness of Chemnitz city centre. It offers low-threshold German courses for women, organises exhibitions and festivals, promotes all efforts to extend help and support for the elderly and disabled, supports work with children and young people and the integration of foreign citizens living in the residential area.

The third prize, worth 200 euros, was awarded to the Aufatmen meeting centre. With their programmes, which are largely financed by private donations, they appeal to people of different world views, origins and backgrounds and create spaces for exchange and encounters.

This year's Chemnitz Peace Prize is awarded in honour of Liane Günther. This honours her decades of commitment to promoting peaceful coexistence in Chemnitz through art, discussion and integration. She is the honorary managing director and artistic director of V.E.B. VereinsEigeneBühne e.V., director and performer. With a wide range of concepts, she introduces people of all ages, regardless of gender or nationality, to the possibilities of theatre and creates new ways of interacting with them.

In the run-up to the Peace Day, the Chemnitz Peace Prize was awarded on 3 March in the City Council Chamber of Chemnitz Town Hall.


The first prize went to the Chemnitz stakeholders from ASA-FF - Network for Global Learning. Their project "Undiscovered Neighbours", which shed light on the activities of the NSU and its reappraisal with its own actions and performances, numerous guest performances and collaborations in several German cities, impressed the 15 members of the jury. The project was exemplary in bringing together many committed and interested people under one project through extraordinary voluntary work.

The second prize went to Rola Saleh. The young woman was born in Lebanon in 1978, sent to Germany by her parents because of the civil war and taken back to Lebanon to be forced into marriage. She fled to Germany again and applied for asylum, which was initially rejected. Rola Saleh began working as a language mediator to help asylum seekers and became an indispensable counsellor for asylum seekers from Lebanon and elsewhere.

The third prize was awarded to Chemnitzer Tafel e.V., a non-profit aid organisation that helps people in financial need. The employees work on a voluntary, honorary and unpaid basis. They do this out of an inner conviction to help people in need. And they have been doing this work for 20 years - steadily, reliably and sustainably.

Over 30 projects, people and institutions were nominated in 2017. Two rapporteurs from the jury visited each of the proposals and interviewed those responsible.

The citizens' association FUER Chemnitz e.V., in cooperation with the migration commissioner of the city of Chemnitz, awarded the Chemnitz Peace Prize for the 13th time on the eve of the Chemnitz Peace Day.

The first prize was awarded to the Welcome Service at Chemnitz Central Station, a volunteer initiative of Chemnitz citizens who welcome arriving refugees and help them on their onward journey to the first facility. The exemplary, tireless and constant commitment is thus to be honoured.

The KOMPOTT centre (Leipziger Str.) received the second prize. Young people from Chemnitz organise their own housing, work and culture, as well as help for the needy and refugees, without demanding subsidies. This is a sustainable integration achievement across several generations and is also an excellent example.

The third prize went to Freifunk Chemnitz, which uses its technical background knowledge to advocate for open and anonymous Wi-Fi in order to give all users a bit of anonymity back and create a provider-independent infrastructure. This has also helped asylum seekers in particular to easily contact their families.


The 2016 special prize was awarded to a family for the first time. The Kästel-Sasse family, who have been committed to non-violence, civil rights and culture for many years, and not just at the Montessori school. The family also does exemplary work in helping refugees.

On 4 March, the Chemnitz Peace Prize was presented to the citizens' initiative Aktion C, in which Chemnitz schoolchildren have already designed 1000 metres of highly visible banners, banners and flags on the subject of peace. The peace banners will be hanging on Chemnitz City Hall and other buildings in the city shortly before 5 March. Christoph Magirius, honorary citizen of the city of Chemnitz and one of the 15 jury members, praised the diverse artistic commitment far beyond the Chemnitz Peace Day.

The Interkulturelle Garten e.V. is the 2014 Peace Prize winner. The initiative on the Kaßberg was honoured for its place of encounter and exchange between people of different cultures and generations. The Interkulturelle Garten e.V. is delighted to receive a prize of 300 euros and a sculpture by Chemnitz sculptor Erik Neukirchner.

Second place was awarded to the"Inklusionstheaterprojekt Standpunkte" by Chemnitzer Kunstfabrik. The jury's reasoning: "The project makes an active contribution to breaking down prejudices and promoting encounters between people from different backgrounds, as well as promoting a commitment to peaceful, tolerant coexistence. Second place is endowed with prize money totalling 200 euros.

Third placeand prize money of 100 euros goes to the "Balcony Ballet Project" of the association Bürgerinitiative Chemnitzer City e.V. Christoph Magirius, honorary citizen of the city of Chemnitz, described the project in his laudatory speech as "a breath of paradise - discovering people next to you and shaping life with them".

This year, Christina and Wolfgang Lehmann will receive the honorary prize. Both have been running a café on Markersdorfer Straße as a meeting place for more than 25 years. Exhibitions, readings, concerts and a variety of events take place in the Markersdorf/Morgenleite neighbourhood. At their own expense, the couple bring the Days of Jewish Culture as well as discussion groups to their neighbourhood and are exemplary for civic engagement. In addition to the prize of honour, Christina and Wolfgang Lehmann can also look forward to receiving a sculpture created by Chemnitz sculptor Erik Neukirchner.

The first prize was awarded to the film project RECHTSzuHause by students at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with IG Metall and DGB. The jury's statement said: "Excellent research forms the basis of a compact film about the Chemnitz Nazi scene and its perception among the population, the NPD in the Saxon state parliament and the effects on right-wing forces in the city of Chemnitz, racism and xenophobia on the ground. Links and causalities are identified and named. The students do not stop at critical questions, but find answers in diversity." The winner receives the sculpture "Chemnitz Peace Prize"; the first prize is endowed with 300 euros.

The jury for the awarding of the Chemnitz Peace Prize agreed on the awarding oftwo second prizes in the event of a tie and did not award a third prize. The second prizes are endowed with 200 euros each. The second prize was awarded to the Kenya-Hilfe Chemnitz association and the "Kunstspaziergang" project by Nadine Werner and Karola Schell.

The Chemnitz Peace Prize as an honorary awardwent to Pedro Martin Montero Pérez, Chairman of the Chemnitz Foreigners' Advisory Council, who has made a very special contribution to encounters and understanding through his many years of voluntary work and has been and continues to be committed to the interests of migrants in a variety of ways.

The association AG In- und Ausländer e. V. has played a key role in shaping migration, youth and educational work in the city of Chemnitz and throughout Saxony for over 20 years. The aim of the work of all projects and voluntary initiatives is to enable people to participate in a wide variety of ways and to break down prejudices so that the diverse coexistence of different people can be experienced as mutually enriching.


The 2nd prize goes to the Association of Vietnamese in Chemnitz e. V.

In 1993, Vietnamese contract workers founded the Vereinigung der Vietnamesen in Chemnitz e. V. (Association of Vietnamese in Chemnitz), the first migrant self-organisation in Chemnitz. Since then, the organisation, economically supported by voluntary donations, has been exemplary in its commitment to the integration of the Vietnamese into the majority society.
The award recognises and honours the association and its members for their decades of commitment.


The 3rd prize goes to the "Klick youth initiative" for the organisation and implementation of the "Self-timer workshop week in Sachsenburg" project

The award recognises the dedicated work of the "Jugendinitiative Klick" for the organisation and implementation of the "Self-timer workshop week in Sachsenburg" project. Youth initiative is a new form of socially effective and political work. It is worth noting that this is not an association, a party structure or an institution. It is an association of young people with the same interests.


Honorary award: Stephan Brenner, pastor in the Office for Public Relations and Community Development of the Evangelical Lutheran Church District of Chemnitz.

The honorary award recognises the award winner's decades-long and lasting commitment to peaceful coexistence in Chemnitz. An honorary prize will also be awarded again in 2012. The name Stephan Brenner is closely associated with peace work in Chemnitz: Pastor Brenner brought the Light of Peace from Bethlehem to Chemnitz. The Chemnitz Peace Bus, which he initiated - a city bus decorated with around 50 pictures by children's and youth groups from the Evangelical Lutheran Church and entitled "Peace all along the line", which travels different routes in the city every day - passes a variety of places in Chemnitz every day and connects them with each other. Pastor Stephan Brenner is also a co-initiator of the annual Peace Day in Chemnitz on 5 March.