The reputation of the Emperor Otto Prize awarded by the state capital of Magdeburg has increased significantly in recent years. This was the conclusion reached by the board of trustees of the Emperor Otto Cultural Foundation at its meeting today. Other topics discussed at the second meeting of this year included an evaluation of this year’s award ceremony and the annual planning for 2027.
Overall, the unanimous conclusion of the Board of Trustees is that since the awarding of the Emperor Otto Prize to Zuzana Čaputová in August 2023, the work and impact of the Cultural Foundation has become more widely known. The Foundation had created the basis for greater public awareness with a marketing concept. Flyers, roll-ups, flags flying at the town hall, a newly designed website and opportunities for encounters and exchanges at events have helped to raise public awareness of the work of the Cultural Foundation and the Emperor Otto Prize.
The board members particularly praised the large-scale project by the Magdeburg Youth Art School, which was funded by the Cultural Foundation. Under the motto ‘Otto I as a world shaper’, pupils from various art classes spent more than a year studying Otto the Great and his visions, visiting historical sites, immersing themselves in the medieval history of the city and creating their own ideas for their personal vision of the Europe of the future. The Magdeburg Youth Art School’s art project ‘Otto I as a world shaper’ celebrated its grand opening on 24 June with a vernissage in front of a large audience in Magdeburg Cathedral. The exhibition itself, with more than 150 exhibits, was on display in Magdeburg Cathedral until the beginning of August 2025.
At its meeting today, the Board of Trustees also looked back on this year’s award ceremony. On 2 July, the highest and most important municipal award, the Emperor Otto Prize, was presented for the 10th time since its introduction in 2005. The winners are two internationally renowned musicians, violinist Lisa Batiashvili and pianist Igor Levit. This is the first time in the history of the award that two cultural figures have received this high honour for their unyielding socio-political commitment. Magdeburg Cathedral, the city’s landmark and burial place of Otto the Great, provided an impressive backdrop for this high-profile ceremony, which was attended by personalities from society, politics, business and science, as well as national and international guests.
The city of Magdeburg welcomed Europe as its guest – Isabelle Rome, French Ambassador for Human Rights, addressed the audience as keynote speaker, Jean Asselborn, former long-standing Foreign Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and European veteran, was keynote speaker, and Christian Berkel, nationally and internationally acclaimed actor and author, gave the laudatory speech.
In addition, delegations from Magdeburg’s Polish twin city Radom and its French counterpart Le Havre accepted the invitation and travelled to the ceremony especially for the occasion. The Board of Trustees was particularly pleased that, thanks to reduced security restrictions, a large number of Magdeburg residents were able to attend the award ceremony for the first time. The Board of Trustees also highlighted the positive response to the live broadcast of the ceremony on MDR television and on Phöenix.
‘The ceremony to award the Emperor Otto Prize to Igor Levit and Lisa Batiashvili was a highlight in our calendar of events this year and will remain in the memories of many Magdeburg residents,’ summarised the chair of the board of trustees, Mayor Simone Borris. “We must not tire of keeping Otto the Great’s legacy alive beyond the city limits. His work stands for the idea of a Europe based on understanding, cohesion and mutual respect. With the Emperor Otto Prize, the state capital of Magdeburg, like its namesake, builds bridges between peoples, religions and cultures. It is important to continue this work.”
