Entertaining artist talk in the Emperor Otto Hall

Yesterday evening, a very special panel discussion took place in the Emperor Otto Hall of the Museum of Cultural History. The Emperor Otto Cultural Foundation and the City of Magdeburg had invited Bernd Göbel to this event to honour one of the most renowned German sculptors and medallists of the present day and to present his portrait medals for the Emperor Otto Prize as a very special tribute to the City of Magdeburg.
Also invited was Ulf Dräger, Head of the State Coin Cabinet Department of the Saxony-Anhalt Cultural Foundation, a recognised expert in the art of medals and a profound expert on Bernd Göbel’s work.

Friends of numismatics as well as guests interested in art history and history accepted the invitation. Bernd Göbel, former professor of sculpture at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design and internationally acclaimed medallist, took centre stage during the evening. Göbel’s artistic oeuvre is extremely extensive. In plaques, small sculptures and free works of art for public spaces, he has dealt with many contemporary historical events as well as current themes and discourses. However, he dedicated a significant part of his work to portrait medals. In addition to the Leopoldina, for which he created more than 20 portraits of scholars, the City of Magdeburg also commissioned portrait medals for the Emperor Otto Prize.

It was Bernd Göbel who revolutionised the medal. He broke up the original round shape of the medal and gave it special design elements with incisions, sharp corners and edges and characteristic embossing. In recognition and appreciation of his work, he was the first German artist ever to receive prestigious international awards. In 2000, for example, he was honoured with the “J. Sanford Saltus Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Art of Medals” by the American Numismatic Society. In 2002, Bernd Göbel received the “Grand Prix” of the international medal federation FIDEM at the World Biennale of Medallic Art in Paris. This was later followed by the “Hilde Broër Prize” for his life’s work.

„The portrait medal is already sacred to me.” Bernd Göbel

In her welcoming address, Simone Borris, Mayor of the City of Magdeburg, emphasised Otto the Great’s legacy for Magdeburg and highlighted the importance of the Emperor Otto Prize as the city’s highest and most important award. Since the city’s 1,200th anniversary in 2005, the city, together with the Emperor Otto Cultural Foundation, has awarded the prize of the same name to national and international personalities who stand up for the European idea and its values with great commitment, determination and courage. The prize is an honour in the form of a medal. It shows the portrait of the honoured person on the front and one of Otto the Great’s imperial seals on the reverse.
This award therefore not only recognises the outstanding commitment of the prizewinners, but is also a very individual, personal and artistic tribute.

The subsequent panel discussion with Bernd Göbel and Ulf Dräger, which was moderated by Dr Gabriele Köster, Director of the Magdeburg Museums, resulted in an entertaining exchange on the medium of the medal and Bernd Göbel’s work.

„From instantaneity to eternity“

Ulf Dräger gave the guests an insight into the centuries-old tradition of the medal. Medallic art is one of the most innovative art forms, said Ulf Dräger. The idea behind them does not become outdated, they are made to last forever. In this respect, medals are important signposts that describe history. Medals preserve history and build the future.

„Creating an award means taking responsibility.” Ulf Dräger

The history of the Emperor Otto Prize is still relatively young. Next year, the prize will be 20 years old. Developing and establishing an ambitious and prestigious honour requires a long-term commitment. It requires co-operation with reliable partners and can only be based on an idea that is not outdated and has particular social relevance and acceptance. The Emperor Otto Prize is undoubtedly such an honour. Compared to other prestigious prizes, the Emperor Otto Prize medal is a further development, a very special honour, a work of art, an honouring monument. This claim, which the City of Magdeburg makes with its highest and most important award, is unique in Germany, says Ulf Dräger.

„Artists have an obligation to express their opinions through art.” Bernd Göbel

Bernd Göbel discovered this medium for himself in the 1980s. His medals are contemporary art. He approaches contemporary historical themes and events, which in turn become reliefs in miniature form. Bernd Göbel created some of his medals for personal reasons, because he was very preoccupied with political issues. In this respect, they are critical reactions to contemporary historical events. Art and culture play an important role in society. Art is able to criticise, but also to cheer people up and encourage them. It takes a stand on the challenges of our time. According to Bernd Göbel, it is therefore the task of politicians to support artists, especially in times of tight budgets.

But how does Bernd Göbel approach the prizewinners who are honoured with his medals? He looks at photos and gains impressions of the award winners from audio and video recordings. In the plaques, Bernd Göbel tries to capture the characteristics of each award winner. Portraying someone you don’t know personally is extremely difficult, so it takes great virtuosity to give the medal, the work of art, presence. The audience was able to see for themselves the outstanding way in which Bernd Göbel has succeeded in doing this in recent years, as Bernd Göbel had brought along duplicates of all the medals created for the Emperor Otto Prize to date.

For the Emperor Otto Prize 2025, Bernd Göbel has taken on a new project with the design of two medals. To mark the 10th award ceremony and the 20th anniversary of the prize, the Emperor Otto Cultural Foundation’s prize committee nominated two prizewinners, Igor Levit and Lisa Batiashvili. The award ceremony will take place on 2 July 2025 at the traditional venue, Magdeburg Cathedral.