Gutenberg Prize
Klaus Detjen / Winner of the Gutenberg Prize 2017
The Leipzig Gutenberg Prize for 2017 was awarded to Klaus Detjen by Leipzig's Culture Minister, Skadi Jennicke, on behalf of the Mayor, on 22 June 2017 as part of a function at the German National Library's Museum of Books and Writing. Lothar Müller from Berlin held the laudatory speech. The board of trustees, headed by Culture Minister Skadi Jennicke, recognised the works of Klaus Detjen as a book and font designer.
The jury's decision was justified thus:
"Born in 1943, this manufacturer, typographer, book designer and veteran professor at the Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design in Kiel set standards in many publishing companies through his work as a designer and manufacturer. His ability to transmit his practical experience as part of his classes was unparalleled. As such, Klaus Detjen has been among the most influential and stylistically-important players in Germany's book culture for over 40 years. [...]"
Jan Philipp Reemtsma / Winner of the Gutenberg Prize 2015
The City of Leipzig awarded the 2015 Gutenberg Prize to Jan Philipp Reemtsma. He received the prize from Leipzig's Mayor, Burkhard Jung on 26 June 2015 as part of a function at the German National Library's Museum of Books and Writing. Thedel von Wallmoden from Göttingen held the laudatory speech.
The board of trustees, headed by Culture Minister Michael Faber, recognised Jan Philipp Reemtsma's tremendous diversity in his work as a patron of the arts, a collector and steward of author's bequests from across Germany's intellectual history - in particular in the realms of literature and philosophy - an initiator of large text editions, an editor, scholar and author.
The jury's decision was justified thus:
"The large editions which have so far been published under his guidance - from Christoph Martin Wieland, Arno Schmidt and Theodor W. Adorno to Walter Benjamin - fulfil extremely high graphic, typographic and aesthetic demands. They are living signs and extraordinary examples of a literary culture as envisioned by publisher Georg Joachim Göschen when he developed the prototypes at the turn of the 18th century. [...]"
Friedrich Pfäfflin / Winner of the Gutenberg Prize 2013
The Leipzig Gutenberg Prize for 2013 was awarded to Friedrich Pfäfflin by Leipzig's Mayor, Burkhard Jung on 20 June 2013 a part of a function at the German National Library's Museum of Books and Writing. The board of trustees, headed by Culture Minister Michael Faber, recognised Friedrich Pfäfflin's tremendous diversity in his work as a book designer, book series creator, manufacturer, typographer, exhibition organiser, literary publisher and philologist.
The jury's decision was justified thus:
"His work is defined by its typographical quality combined with a willingness to experiment and a tactile adventurousness. The variety of materials used often presents a challenge, but it is also substantiated by its obvious and manifest functionality. His series of books show no evidence of self-satisfied, aesthetic idleness. On the contrary, they embody a certain textual plausibility based on literature history. [...]"
Karl-Georg Hirsch / Winner of the Gutenberg Prize 2011
The City of Leipzig awarded the 2011 Gutenberg Prize to Karl-Georg Hirsch.
A jury convened in November 2010 under the direction of Leipzig's Minster of Culture, Michael Faber, has chosen German graphic artist and book illustrator Karl-Georg Hirsch as the 2011 laureate of the Gutenberg Prize of the City of Leipzig.
The jury recognizes the work of Karl-Georg Hirsch as a major contribution to the international visual arts in the last third of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century.
The Gutenberg Prize was be presented to Karl-Georg Hirsch by the mayor of Leipzig at the German National Library on June 24th, 2011.
Uwe Loesch / Winner of the Gutenberg Prize 2009
The Gutenberg Prize of Leipzig City for 2009 is being presented by Mayor Burkhard Jung to Uwe Loesch on 13 March 2009.
Accolade by: Professor emiritus Kurt Weidemann, Stuttgart.
The Gutenberg Prize of Leipzig City has been awarded since 1959 in memory of Johannes Gutenberg and to honour personalities and institutions who "render outstanding, exemplary services to the advancement of the book arts" (as stated in the Statutes). With 10,000 euros of prize money, the award exemplifies Leipzig's tradition as a historical centre for quality print work and the fostering of book arts. Since 1993, it has alternated annually with the prize of the same name awarded by the City of Mainz. The intention is to honour exceptional artistic, technical or scientific achievements, above all in the fields of typography, book illustration, book-art editing and book production.
Uwe Loesch, born 1943 in Dresden, grew up in Jena and came to Düsseldorf in 1959, where he studied graphic design at the Peter-Behrens-Werkkunstschule from 1964-68. In 1985, he was appointed professor of multimedia design at the Fachhochschule Düsseldorf (University of Applied Science). Appointment to the chair of communication design at the Bergische University of Wuppertal followed in 1990. In book and in poster typography, Uwe Loesch has pioneered new developments in illustrative and interpretational use of typeface and convincingly demonstrated that irrespective of its inherent form, the typeface itself has its own meaningfulness through the application and mutation of typographic possibilities. This creative achievement goes hand in hand with always exciting and surprising solutions in overall design. There are few artists who place picture and text in relation to one another in a more varied or subtly diversified way.
Several of his posters have been included in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and are on show in the permanent exhibition.
The previous winners of the Prize
2011
Karl-Georg Hirsch (* 1938 in Breslau/Poland)
2009
Uwe Lösch (* 1943 in Düsseldorf/Germany)
2007
ahn sang-soo (* 1952 in Seoul/South Korea)
2005
Alvaro Sotillo (* 1946 in Carracas/Venezuela)
2003
Wolf Erlbruch (* 1948 in Wuppertal/Germany)
2001
Irma Boom (* 1960 in Amsterdam/Netherlands)
1999
Jost Hochuli (* 1933 in St.Gallen/Switzerland)
1997
Kveta Pacovská (* 1928 in Prag/Tschechien)
1995
Prof. Wilhelm Neufeld (* 1908 in Munich/Germany)
1993
Prof. Kurt Löb (* 1926 in Berlin/Germany)
1992
Prof. Jürgen Seuss (* 1935 in Leipzig/Deutschland)
Prof. Hans Peter Willberg (* 1930 in Nürnberg/Deutschland)
1991
Oldrich Hlavsa (* 1909 in Náchod/Tschechien)
1990
Heinz Hellmis (* 1935 in Henningsdorf/Germany)
1989
Prof. Yü Bing-Nan (* 1933 in Shanghai/China)
Klaus Ensikat (* 1937 in Berlin/Germany)
1988
Lothar Reher (* 1932 in Marienburg/Germany)
1987
Dr. Fritz Landshoff (* 1901 in Berlin/Germany)
1986
Jiri Salamoun (* 1935 in Prag/Tschechien)
1985
Dmitri Spiridonowitsch Bisti (* 1925 in Sewastopol/UdSSR)
1984
Elizabeth Shaw (* 1920 in Belfast/Ireland)
1983
Siegfried Hoffmann (* 1922 in Leipzig/Germany)
1982
Tibor Szántó (* 1912 in Kispest/Ungarn)
Helmut Selle (* 1932 in Blumroda/Germany)
1981
Prof. Hans Fronius (* 1903 in Sarajewo/Bosnien-Herzegowina)
1980
Verlag Edition Leipzig
1979
Prof. Gert Wunderlich (* 1933 in Leipzig/Germany)
1978
Helmut Andreas Paul (HAP) Grieshaber (* 1909 in Rot/Germany)
1977
Horst Schuster Dresden (* 1930 in Dresden/Germany, lebt in Dresden/Deutschland)
Prof. György Haiman, (* 1914 in Budapest/Hungary)
Dr. Siegfried Hempel, (* 1927 in Dresden/Germany)
Dr.h.c. Hans Marquardt (* 1920 in Simmatzig/Pommern)
1976
Joachim Kölbel (* 1918 in Halle/Germany)
1975
Wadim Wladimirowitsch Lazurski (* 1909 in Odessa/Russia)
Börsenverein der deutschen Buchhändler, Leipzig
1974
Insel Verlag "Anton Kippenberg" Leipzig
Verlag der Kunst, Dresden
1973
Hellmuth Tschörtner (* 1911 in See/Germany)
1972
Prof. Dr. Horst Kunze (* 1909 in Dresden/Germany)
Roman Tomaszewski (* 1921 in Poznán/Poland))
1971
Prof. Andrej Dimitrijewitsch Gontscharow (* 1903 in Moskau/Russia)
1970
Deutsches Buch- und Schriftmuseum Leipzig
Graphische Kunstanstalt H.F. Jütte Leipzig
1969
Prof. Dr. Bruno Kaiser (* 1911 in Berlin/Germany)
Röderdruck Leipzig
1968
Interdruck LeipzigProf. Walter Schiller (* 1920 in Hamburg/Germany)Vasil Jontschev (* 1916 in Abanassi/Bulgaria)
1967
Verlag Philipp Reclam jun. Leipzig
1966
Prof. Hans Baltzer (* 1900 in Berlin/Germany)
Bruno Gerhard Rebner (* 1896 in Leipzig/Deutschland)
1965
Lajos Lengyel (* 1904 in Makó/Ungarn)
Jan Tschichold (* 1902 in Leipzig/Germany)
Grafischer Großbetrieb Völkerfreundschaft Dresden
1964
Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
1963
Prof. Solomon Benediktinowitsch Telingater (* 1903 in Tiflis/Georgien)
Prof. Fritz Hellmuth Ehmcke (* 1878 in Hohensalza/Preußen)
1962
Prof. Werner Klemke (* 1917 in Berlin/Germany, † 1994 in Berlin/Deutschland)
Typoart Dresden/Leipzig
1961
Prof. Albert Kapr (* 1918 in Stuttgart/Germany, † 1995 in Leipzig/Deutschland)
Druckerei Fortschritt Erfurt
1960
Karl Gossow (* 1904 in Hammonia/Brasilia)
Offizin Andersen Nexö Leipzig
1959
Prof. Horst Erich Wolter (* 1906 in Memel/Poland)
Statutes - Gutenberg Prize of Leipzig City
Preamble
The name of Gutenberg stands for outstanding endeavours in the advancement of an innovative book culture.
The Prize serves the promotion and recognition of achievements in the field of book art and at the same time, bears testimony to the traditions of Leipzig as a centre for quality print work and the fostering of book arts.
The Prize is awarded for outstanding artistic, technical or scientific achievements that set standards in the book arts – in particular in script design, typography, book illustration or book-art editing and book production.
Article 1
Every two years, Leipzig City shall award the "Gutenberg Prize of Leipzig City". This presentation shall generally be made as part of the official opening event for the Leipzig Book Fair. If the International Exhibition of Book Arts (iba) is being held in Leipzig, the Prize shall be presented at the opening of the latter.
Article 2
The Gutenberg Prize shall be awarded to personalities or institutions who or which render outstanding, exemplary services to the advancement of the book arts. Winners of the "Gutenberg Prize of Mainz City" are excluded from consideration for the award.
Article 3
The Gutenberg Prize can be divided between several recipients. It can be awarded both nationally and internationally.
Article 4
The Prize consists of a cash award of 10,000 (ten thousand) euros and a certificate.
Article 5
The Gutenberg Prize is not open for public nominations. Self-nominations of candidates are not permitted.
Article 6
The winner of the Prize shall be decided by a Committee.
Article 7
The members of the Committee are:
- Councillor for Cultural Affairs on behalf of the Mayor of Leipzig
- 1 member of the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Leipzig City Council Assembly
- 1 representative of the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst, Leipzig
- 1 member from the German Publishers & Booksellers Association – Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels
- 1 representative of the graphic trades
- 1 member of the Bibliophilen-Abends Leipzig e.V.
- 1 representative of the Deutsches Buch- und Schriftmuseum Leipzig
- Head of the Cultural Affairs Department of Mainz City
- 1 additional representative of Mainz City
- 1 to 3 Gutenberg Prize winners from previous years
The Committee shall be appointed by the Councillor for Cultural Affairs for the period of one year.
Article 8
By 1 December of the year before, the members of the Committee shall submit their proposals for candidates to the Councillor for Cultural Affairs, together with their respective reasons. The Councillor for Cultural Affairs also has the right to accept other substantiated proposals in addition to these.
Article 9
Chaired by the Councillor for Cultural Affairs, the Committee shall decide by a simply majority of votes.
Article 10
The Gutenberg Prize may be awarded to an individual/institution once only.
Article 11
The deliberations carried out by the Committee are not public. There is no legal right of appeal against the decision taken by the Committee.
Article 12
Changes to these Statutes require the passage of a resolution by the Leipzig City Council Assembly.