Former German President Joachim Gauck (85) has been awarded the Görlitz Bridge Prize. Gauck has worked for democracy and international understanding in many different ways, it was said in the citation. This applies to his time as Federal President and before that as Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records, but also after leaving office. The award is to be presented on February 4, 2026 at the Görlitz Synagogue Cultural Forum.
The International Bridge Prize has been awarded since 1993 to individuals who have rendered outstanding services to democratic development and understanding in Europe. The prize is endowed with 2,500 euros.
Past winners include the writer Herta Müller and her colleague Günter Grass, the architect Daniel Libeskind and the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
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