Heinrich Heine Prize

はいんりひはいねしょう

Collective term for multiple literary prizes named after Heinrich Heine. Mainly includes the Düsseldorf city prize, Heinrich-Heine-Gesellschaft (Hamburg) prize, and former GDR Ministry of Culture prize.

Literary awardHumanities/Social sciencesCulture

Established: 1953
Organizer: Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf (City of Düsseldorf); Heinrich-Heine-Gesellschaft (Hamburg); Ministry for Culture (former GDR, historical)
Category: Literature and General Literary Arts
Selection Method: Selection
Target: Professional
Frequency: 2 per year
Status: Active

Description

"Heinrich Heine Prize" is a collective term referring to multiple prizes named after the 19th-century German poet Heinrich Heine, primarily consisting of three lines. The Düsseldorf city prize was established in 1972, on the 175th anniversary of Heine's birth, initially awarded every 3 years, and since 1981 mostly every 2 years. The prize money was initially €25,000, increased to €50,000 since 2006. The Heinrich-Heine-Gesellschaft (Hamburg) prize has been awarded irregularly since 1965, and sometimes includes the sculpture "Die Schere der Zensur." The former GDR (East Germany) Ministry of Culture's Heine Prize existed from the 1950s to 1990, awarded annually with prize money of around 15,000 East German marks at the time. All prizes are awarded through selection by committees or associations. There have also been political controversies, such as the 2006 award dispute involving Peter Handke.

Prize

Main Prize: Düsseldorf Prize: Cash prize (currently €50,000). Heinrich-Heine-Gesellschaft Prize: Sculpture object (Die Schere der Zensur). Former GDR Prize: Historically cash prize in East German marks (approx. 15,000 marks).
Cash Prize: 50,000 EUR

Heinrich-Heine-Gesellschaft's sculpture object "Die Schere der Zensur"
Former GDR era prize (historical prize money 15,000 East German marks)
Award ceremony / honorary conferral

Selection

Selection Process

Stage	Judges	Pass Rate	Announcement
Düsseldorf Prize: Selection (committee)	5 city government members (1 vote each), 1 representative from North Rhine-Westphalia (if attending), 1 Heinrich-Heine University president, 5 critics or literature experts (others). City government committee members have 1 vote each, others have 2 votes each, according to reports.	—	Officially announced by the city based on the committee's decision (Düsseldorf city website, etc.).
Heinrich-Heine-Gesellschaft (Hamburg): Selection (association)	Selection committee of Heinrich-Heine-Gesellschaft selects candidates.	—	Announced by the association / award ceremony. Held irregularly.
Former GDR Ministry of Culture Heine Prize (historical)	Selected by committee of former GDR Ministry of Culture (1950s-1990).	—	Officially announced through the Ministry of Culture at the time.

Düsseldorf Prize: Selection (committee)

Judges 5 city government members (1 vote each), 1 representative from North Rhine-Westphalia (if attending), 1 Heinrich-Heine University president, 5 critics or literature experts (others). City government committee members have 1 vote each, others have 2 votes each, according to reports.

Announcement Officially announced by the city based on the committee's decision (Düsseldorf city website, etc.).

Heinrich-Heine-Gesellschaft (Hamburg): Selection (association)

Judges Selection committee of Heinrich-Heine-Gesellschaft selects candidates.

Announcement Announced by the association / award ceremony. Held irregularly.

Former GDR Ministry of Culture Heine Prize (historical)

Judges Selected by committee of former GDR Ministry of Culture (1950s-1990).

Announcement Officially announced through the Ministry of Culture at the time.

Criteria

Achievements or activities that align with Heine's spirit, contributing to human rights, social progress, and international understanding
Literary value / artistry and social impact
Visibility and continuity of public / social contributions

Application Tips

Dos

As this prize is mainly awarded by a selection committee, clearly demonstrate public achievements, publications, and social contributions as a candidate.
Emphasize activities or works that align with Heine's spirit (respect for human rights, social progress, international understanding).
Check public information and regulations from the organizing bodies (e.g., City of Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Gesellschaft).

Don''ts

Do not present information that differs from public facts.
Do not prominently feature overly political or confrontational claims that deviate significantly from the prize's purpose (there have been past cases involving political controversies).
Do not apply unilaterally without confirming whether there is a formal nomination or application process (some prizes are by nomination or association selection).

From Judges

Tends to evaluate both literary quality and social impact.
It is important to back up the candidate's achievements with literature, publication records, and public activities.
Association-related prizes are irregular and have slightly different criteria, so refer to past winners and statements from the organizing body.