Ines Geipel Receives the Geschwister Scholl Prize

Ines Geipel, author of the book *Landschaft ohne Zeugen. Buchenwald und der Riss der Erinnerung* (Landscape Without Witnesses: Buchenwald and the Rift in Memory), has been awarded the 2026 Geschwister Scholl Prize for this work. The jury particularly praised the combination of historical accuracy, intellectual independence, and responsible judgment. The Bavarian Regional Association of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, along with the Bavarian state capital of Munich, plan to present Geipel with the prize, which is endowed with 10,000 euros, on November 24, according to their own statements.

“Buchenwald is a historical site and a political space of remembrance,” the jury explained. In her book, published by S. Fischer Verlag, Geipel examines “how interpretations of the camp’s history have taken shape, interpretations that to this day determine what becomes visible, what can be remembered, and what disappears from memory.” 

The book derives its persuasive power from its close engagement with the source material. “Archives, documents, and biographies offer a glimpse into the ruptures that make political narratives of remembrance appear seamless.” 

Geipel was born in Dresden in 1960. At age 14, she entered a boarding school in the Thuringian Forest. She was a competitive athlete in the GDR and a member of the national team. However, the long jumper and sprinter fell out of favor after a planned escape attempt in 1985, was forced to end her athletic career—and went on to study German language and literature in Jena. Her first book was published in 1996. The central theme of her literary work is Germany’s history of violence, encompassing both National Socialism and the GDR dictatorship.