In cooperation with the Semperoper Dresden, the association »Friends of Dresden Deutschland e.V.« will honour the architect Daniel Libeskind with the International »Dresden Peace Prize«. An honorary prize will go to the politician Gerhart Baum. Award winner 2022, the climate-change lawyer Roger Cox, will also receive his prize at the gala event at the Semperoper on 19 February 2023.
Dresden, 27 January 2023. US architect Daniel Libeskind will receive the 14th International »Dresden Peace Prize« in recognition of his extraordinary artistic contributions to the culture of remembrance at a ceremony to be held in the Semperoper on Sunday, 19 February 2023. Explaining its choice, the prize jury stated: »In bestowing this award to Daniel Libeskind, we wish to highlight a very special aspect of his work, which can be called the ‘architecture of remembrance’. Almost alone in his field, this artist has created an ideal architectural setting in which to preserve our memories of the victims of the Holocaust as well as those of more recent wars and acts of terror. His approach leaves no room for ignorance or relativisation; the architecture and the use of space determine the pathway to remembrance.«
His iconic buildings include the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Imperial War Museum in Manchester and the Holocaust Memorial in Amsterdam. As the master planner of the World Trade Center in New York Daniel Libeskind has significant participation in its restructuring. With his stunning conversion of Dresden’s Museum of Military History, Libeskind has created an internationally recognised anti-war museum that explores the repercussions of militarism and conflict. According to Heidrun Hannusch, chair of the association »Friends of Dresden Deutschland e.V.«: »Every act of war, genocide or terrorism leaves behind a mass of memories. The ways in which we go about remembering can determine whether such acts are repeated. For this reason, we need such places of remembrance, which also serve as a warning. And they should be impossible to ignore, just like those designed by Daniel Libeskind.«
A honorary prize will go to the 90-year-old elder statesman and FDP politician Gerhart Baum, who –according to the statement of Friends of Dresden – has displayed tireless commitment to human rights and to peace throughout his career.
As the awarding of the »Dresden Peace Prize« for 2022 had to be postponed to 2023, another recipients will also be honoured at the award ceremony: Dutch lawyer Roger Cox will receive the 2022 »Dresden Peace Prize« in recognition of his legal battles to combat the causes of climate change. His successes include an influential lawsuit which he won against the Shell Group.
In addition to numerous guests of honour, the Mayor of Dresden, Dirk Hilbert, the Director of the Dresden State Art Collections, Dr. Marion Ackermann, and Helena Marschall, climate activist and press relations manager of the »Fridays for Future Deutschland«-movement, will deliver the official addresses. Visitors to the gala event will enjoy the music of local electro-pop duo ÄTNA, the Dresden Stahlquartett and cellist Jan Vogler. The evening’s host in the Semperoper will be the author and co-organiser of the award ceremony, Dr. Peter Ufer.
The International »Dresden Peace Preis« is endowed with 10.000 Euro, supported by the Klaus Tschira Stiftung and offered by Friends of Dresden Deutschland e.V. in cooperation with the Semperoper Dresden.
Presentation of the »Dresden Peace Prize«
Sunday, at 11 am on 19 February 2023 in the Semperoper Dresden
Tickets for the event (from 5 euros) can be purchased online at semperoper.de and sz-ticketservice.de, by phoning +49 (0)351 4911 705 or in person from the Schinkelwache box office on Theaterplatz.
For press accreditation and press/photo material, please contact:
Friends of Dresden Deutschland e.V., Dr. Peter Ufer (Press Officer)
phone + 49 (0)171 4291 486, emailinfo@friendsofdresden-deutschland.com
dresdner-friedenspreis.de
Photo: Daniel Libeskind © Stefan Ruiz