The prize committee

As a rule, a prize committee decides on the selection of the Emperor Otto Prize winner every two years. The members of the prize committee are appointed by the Board of Trustees of the Emperor Otto Cultural Foundation Magdeburg.

In addition to the members of the Board of Trustees, the Executive Board and the Managing Director of the Emperor Otto Cultural Foundation, the prize committee is made up of other appointed personalities from the city, state, federal government and EU. The following were appointed to the prize committee to nominate the Emperor Otto Prize winner for 2025:

  • Krystof Blau, Integration Officer of the City of Magdeburg
  • Karolin Braunsberger-Reinhold, MEP, Member of the EU Parliament for Saxony-Anhalt
  • Anna Cavazzini, MEP, Member of the EU Parliament for Saxony-Anhalt
  • Julien Chavaz, General Director of Magdeburg Theatre – Opera House
  • Prof Dr Eva Heidbreder, Professor of Political Science and Chair at the OVGU Magdeburg
  • Tim Herden, Director, MDR State Broadcasting Centre Saxony-Anhalt
  • Niclas Hüttemann, Chairman, Young European Federalists LSA
  • Michael Kempchen, long-time director of the Magdeburg Puppet Theatre
  • Dr Gabriele Köster, Director of the Magdeburg Museums of the City of Magdeburg
  • Frank Leeb, Head of Europe Direct Magdeburg
  • Oliver Müller, Chairman of the Cultural Committee of the City of Magdeburg
  • Guido Nienhaus, Managing Director, MDCC Magdeburg-City-Com GmbH
  • Prof Dr Gertrud Pickhan, retired university professor, formerly of the Institute for East European Studies at the Free University of Berlin
  • Prof Dr Alexander Pott, Chairman of the City Council of the City Magdeburg
  • Marc Rath, Editor-in-Chief, Volksstimme / MZ
  • Rainer Robra, Minister of State, Minister of Culture and Head of the State Chancellery of Saxony-Anhalt
  • Harald Rupprecht, Vice President, European Movement Saxony-Anhalt e.V.
  • Sabine Schramm, Director of the Puppet Theatre of the City of Magdeburg
  • Prof Dr Ing.-habil Jens Strackeljan, Rector of Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
  • Dr Lutz Trümper, former mayor and honorary citizen of the City of Magdeburg
  • Patricia Werner, Managing Director of Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung
  • Thomas Wischnewski, Deputy Chairman of Kunst/Mitte e.V.