Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic
Encyclopedia
The Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic (German: Kunstpreis der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik) was an East German state award bestowed on individuals for contributions in various fields of art.
, applied arts, cinema, television, radio and entertainment. It could be conferred to individual recipients or in collective, to groups of no more than than six people. The recipients were awarded a silver-coated metal medal, 20 millimeter in diameter, with the inscription Kunstpreis. Beside it, a single grantee would also be entitled to a sum of 6,000 East German Marks
, while a collective would get a sum as high as 20,000. The Art Prize was the country's highest honor for artists, and was outranked only by the National Prize of East Germany
.
It was first awarded by Minister of Culture Alexander Abusch
to nineteen recipients, on 22 January 1959. The Ministry's decree declared that it was bestowed "in recognition of outstanding and unique artistic achievements and for promotion of artistic creativity." The Art Prize was conferred twice more during the year, in April and October. It was again awarded thrice during 1960, in March, October and December. From 1961, it was conferred only once every year, on varying months. The last presentation ceremony took place on the night of 3 October 1990, just before the state was dissolved.
History
The Art Prize was annually awarded in recognition of "outstanding creative and interpretive achievements" in visual artsVisual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
, applied arts, cinema, television, radio and entertainment. It could be conferred to individual recipients or in collective, to groups of no more than than six people. The recipients were awarded a silver-coated metal medal, 20 millimeter in diameter, with the inscription Kunstpreis. Beside it, a single grantee would also be entitled to a sum of 6,000 East German Marks
East German mark
The East German mark commonly called the eastern mark , in East Germany only Mark, was the currency of the German Democratic Republic . Its ISO 4217 currency code was DDM...
, while a collective would get a sum as high as 20,000. The Art Prize was the country's highest honor for artists, and was outranked only by the National Prize of East Germany
National Prize of East Germany
The National Prize of the German Democratic Republic was an award of the German Democratic Republic given out in three different classes for scientific, artistic, and other meritorious achievement...
.
It was first awarded by Minister of Culture Alexander Abusch
Alexander Abusch
Alexander Abusch was a German journalist, writer and politician. Abusch joined the Communist Party of Germany in 1918. He would serve as editor of some KPD publications. In 1937, he became part of the exiled KPD leadership in Paris, later in Toulouse. In 1941 he shifted to Mexico, were he became...
to nineteen recipients, on 22 January 1959. The Ministry's decree declared that it was bestowed "in recognition of outstanding and unique artistic achievements and for promotion of artistic creativity." The Art Prize was conferred twice more during the year, in April and October. It was again awarded thrice during 1960, in March, October and December. From 1961, it was conferred only once every year, on varying months. The last presentation ceremony took place on the night of 3 October 1990, just before the state was dissolved.
Notable recipients
- Peter DammPeter DammPeter Damm is a German horn player.He began his musical education aged eleven, on the violin, and started playing the horn in 1951 and graduated from the Franz Liszt Academy in 1957. In 1959 he was appointed as principal horn of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and from 1969 to 2002 he was...
(awarded 1972) - Konrad WolfKonrad WolfKonrad Wolf was an East German film director, son of Friedrich Wolf, brother of Markus Wolf....
(1971) - Wolf KaiserWolf KaiserWolf Kaiser was a German theatre and film actor. He grew up in Switzerland, where he studied chemistry and physiology. In 1937 he was deemed unfit for service in the Wehrmacht, and then went to Berlin where he trained as an actor.-Career:...
(1961) - Fred DelmareFred DelmareFred Delmare was a German actor.He was born in Hüttensteinach. He appeared in several films and television series, last in 70 episodes of In aller Freundschaft between 1998 and 2006. He died in May, 1 2009....
(1960) - Angelica DomröseAngelica DomröseAngelica Domröse is a German actress, who became famous in the role of Paula in Heiner Carow's film "The Legend of Paul and Paula". Her Mediterranean appearance is the result of her biological father being a prisoner of war from France.-Life:After training as a shorthand typist Domröse worked in a...
(1969) - Peter SturmPeter SturmNot to be confused with the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control director by the same name.Josef Michel Dischel , known by his adopted stage name Peter Sturm, was an Austrian and an East German actor.-Early life:Josef Michel Dischel was born into a religious Jewish family...
(1961) - Hannelore BeyHannelore BeyHannelore Bey was a prima ballerina at the Komische Oper Berlin.-Life:She studied from 1956 to 1961 at the Palucca school in Dresden. She then studied from 1965 to 1966 at the Waganowa Academy in Leningrad with Belikowa and Puschkin...
(1970) - Hartmut HaenchenHartmut HaenchenHartmut Haenchen is a German orchestra conductor.Haenchen began his musical career as a member of the Dresden Kreuzchor. By the age of 15, he was already conducting performances as cantor. As a 17-year-old, he attracted widespread attention with his revival of Johann Adolph Hasse's Requiem...
(1984) - Rolf HerrichtRolf HerrichtRolf Oskar Ewald Günter Herricht , was an East German comedian.-Early life:Herricht graduated from school in 1943 after passing a 'War Abitur', a form of an Abitur designated to free school pupils to be mobilized...
(1973, 1977) - Hans-Joachim PreilHans-Joachim PreilHans-Joachim Preil was an East German comedian.-Biography:Preil begun studying acting at 1939. He later appeared on the stages of theaters in Quedlinburg, Aschersleben, Bernburg and Magdeburg. During 1951, he met fellow actor Rolf Herricht. The two founded a comedy duo, 'Herricht & Preil', making...
(1977) - Karat (in collective, 1979)
- Günter KochanGünter KochanGünter Kochan was a German classical composer. His compositions included cantatas, film scores, orchestra music, songs, symphonies and music for radio dramas.- Life and career :...
(1959) - Peter KonwitschnyPeter KonwitschnyPeter Konwitschny is a German opera and theatre director.-Biography:Peter Konwitschny grew up in Leipzig, where his father Franz Konwitschny was principal conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra...
(1988) - Dieter MannDieter MannDieter Mann is a German actor.Mann was born in Berlin. Since 1984 he has belonged to the famous Deutsches Theater Berlin. He portrayed Wilhelm Keitel in Downfall.-References:...
(1975) - Ulrich TheinUlrich TheinUlrich Thein was a German actor film director and screenwriter. He appeared in 44 films and television shows between 1953 and 1995...
(1969, 1984) - Hans-Joachim RotzschHans-Joachim RotzschHans-Joachim Rotzsch is a German choral conductor, conducting the Thomanerchor from 1972 until 1991 as the fifteenth Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach. He is also a tenor and an academic.- Biography :...
(1967) - Günter SommerGünter SommerGünter Baby Sommer is a German jazz drummer.He studied music in Dresden. He rose to fame in the GDR. He is part of the European free jazz avantgarde. He was part of the trio with Conny Bauer and Peter Kowald...
(1985) - Adele StolteAdele StolteAdele Stolte is a German soprano singer in concert and Lieder, and an academic voice teacher.- Biography :...
(1966) - Armin Mueller-StahlArmin Mueller-StahlArmin Mueller-Stahl is a German film actor, painter, writer and musician.-Early life:Mueller-Stahl was born in Tilsit, East Prussia...
(1963) - Karl GassKarl GassKarl Gass was a German documentary filmmaker. With over 120 films, he was among the most productive documentary directors of the GDR, and is considered a leading master of DEFA documentaries. He had the idea for the DEFA long term documentary "Die Kinder von Golzow"...
(1970) - Hannjo HasseHannjo Hasse-Biography:Hasse began studying acting in 1938, and attended Lily Ackermann's Institute for Stage Artists' Education in Berlin. At 1941, he was drafted for the Labour Service, and later to the Army...
(1971) - Werner DisselWerner DisselWerner Friedrich Dissel was a German actor and director.-Biography:Dissel's began working as a newspaper photographer in the late 1920s. After the Nazis' rise to power, he became a member of an antifascist group headed by Harro Schulze-Boysen, and was involved in the resistance newspaper Wille zum...
(1986)