Journalist Sophia Maier and journalist Jan Lorenzen were honoured with the 17th Siebenpfeiffer Prize this year. Journalist Simone Wagenhaus from the Frankfurter Neue Presse received a special prize. The award ceremony organised by the Siebenpfeiffer Foundation took place in front of over 300 invited guests at the Homburg Forum. Foundation Chairman Dr Theophil Gallo welcomed them for the last time: his term of office as District Administrator ends on 30 May 2025 and with it his position at the head of the Siebenpfeiffer Foundation.
In his speech, District Administrator Dr Gallo addressed - based on the current political situation in Germany and world events - the uncertain times for the population and democracy, the value of international partnerships at municipal and civil society level, as well as the threat to freedom of the press and freedom of opinion.
"There must be courageous people who, despite the great danger to life and limb in and from the individual crisis areas, in the countries where crimes are committed or authorised by an unleashed, uncontrolled and unbridled state power, report and document - so that fates can be clarified, Crimes can be documented and atoned for at some point - so that there are reliable facts that can be held up against the blenders, dividers, ignoramuses and smooth-talkers in our affluent society," said the Chairman of the Siebenpfeiffer Foundation, finally addressing the outstanding work of the prizewinners.
Sophia Maier is known for her reporting from crisis and war regions such as Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine. She impressed the jury with her production "Wut auf der Straße - Ist unsere Demokratie in Gefahr?", in which she sought dialogue with demonstrators and AfD supporters, among others.
In the case of the experienced journalist and filmmaker in the public media sector, Jan Lorenzen, it was the documentary "Wir waren in der AfD - Aussteiger berichten" (We were in the AfD - dropouts report) that caught the attention of the award jury. In the film, Lorenzen showed, among other things, how right-wing populism and right-wing extremism merge seamlessly into one another. To mark the 175th anniversary of the "March Revolution" and the National Constituent Assembly in Frankfurt's St Paul's Church, Simone Wagenhaus produced a 57-part series entitled "The Dawn of Democracy", which was published in the "Frankfurter Neue Presse".
"A prize that goes back to the German democracy movement of the Hambach Festival, that celebrates the free formation of opinion and freedom as a whole, must take a clear stance here. Because a democracy thrives on outstanding journalism that shows how things really are," said Martin Grasmück, jury chairman and SR director, in his jury statement. Both winners of the Siebenpfeiffer Prize had impressively demonstrated that "good journalism can make a significant contribution to defending democratic values even in the most difficult times", explained Martin Grasmück on the selection of Sophia Maier and Jan Lorenzen and praised their valuable contributions to the preservation of the free and democratic basic order in Germany.
The laudator, Mika Beuster, Chairman of the German Association of Journalists, emphasised: "The Siebenpfeiffer Prize is a symbol of the fight for press freedom. Philipp Jakob Siebenfeiffer's exemplary defence of this human right shows that freedom of the press is not God-given: Freedom of the press is not God-given. It had to be fought for throughout history. The excellent work of the prizewinners also shows how important this freedom is. Finally, he called for a masterplan for the media: "The state must lay the foundations to ensure that excellent journalism can continue to exist in Germany."
The award winners then took the opportunity to thank the Siebenpfeifer Foundation and the jury, report on their work and experiences and speak honestly about where they see democracy under pressure. Their impressive speeches were honoured by the audience with sustained applause.
Finally, there was an honour for Ulli Wagner, the long-standing chairwoman of the Saarland Journalists' Association (SJV), who stepped down from her position last year. Foundation Chairman Dr Theophil Gallo thanked her for her "always constructive cooperation" as a member of the board, as a jury member, at events and as a source of ideas. In her own words, she will remain associated with the Siebenpfeiffer Foundation.
Last but not least, Dr Gallo thanked the Managing Director of the Siebenpfeiffer Foundation, Martin Baus, and his team for the "excellent organisation" of the award ceremony, which also included the moving and entertaining music by Noël Walterthum and Marina Kavtaradze.
The jury
The jury for the 17th Siebenpfeiffer Prize consisted of: Martin Grasmück (Director General of Saarländischer Rundfunk) as Chairman, Dr Daniel Kirch (then Saarbrücker Zeitung), Ulli Wagner (then Chairwoman of the Saarland Journalists' Association SJV, Markus Pfalzgraf (Chairman DJV Baden-Württemberg), Regina Wilhelm, representative DJV Rhineland-Palatinate, Sebastian Scholz, Managing Director DJV Thuringia, Prof. Dr Wilhelm Kreutz (Chairman Hambach Society), Dieter Knicker (then member of the Saarland-Palatinate District Council) and Ansgar Hoffmann (then member of the Saarland Journalists' Association SJV). Dr Wilhelm Kreutz (Chairman of the Hambach Society), Dieter Knicker (then member of the Saar Palatinate district council and Ansgar Hoffmann (member of the Saar Palatinate district council) and Gunar Feth (Chairman of the Friends of the Siebenpfeiffer Foundation e. V.).