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Kleist Prize

くらいすとしょう

German literary award. Established in 1912. Currently awarded mainly once a year with €20,000 prize money.

Literary awardGerman literatureWriter's award
Established
1912
Organizer
Heinrich-von-Kleist-Gesellschaft (Heinrich von Kleist Society) / Kleist-Archiv Sembdner
Category
Literature and General Literary Arts
Selection Method
Selection
Target
Professional
Frequency
1 per year
Status
Active

Description

The Kleist Prize (Kleist-Preis) is a German literary award established in 1912 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Heinrich von Kleist's death. It was an important literary award during the Weimar Republic era but was suspended in 1933. Revived in 1985, it was awarded biennially from 1994 to 2000. Winners receive a cash prize (€20,000) and honor. The list of winners is managed by Kleist-Archiv Sembdner and Kleist Gesellschaft.

Prize

Main Prize
Cash prize and honor (Kleist Prize)
Cash Prize
20,000 EUR
  • Honor
  • Attention and recognition from winning

Selection

Selection Process

Selection
Judges Selection committee of Heinrich-von-Kleist-Gesellschaft / Kleist-Archiv Sembdner
Announcement Announced after selection on the official website and via press release

Criteria

  • Literary value and quality
  • Originality
  • Achievements as a writer (lifetime contributions may be evaluated)

Related Awards

  • Georg Büchner Prize
  • Ingeborg Bachmann Prize
  • German Book Prize
  • Goethe Prize
  • Nelly Sachs Prize
  • Leipzig Book Fair Prize

Official Resources

https://heinrich-von-kleist-gesellschaft.de/kleist-preis/

Past Winners

Edition 58 (2025)
Daniela Seel だにえら ぜーる Winner
Edition 57 (2024)
Sasha Marianna Salzmann さーしゃ まりあんな ざるつまん Winner
Edition 56 (2023)
Thomas Kunst とーます くんすと Winner
Edition 55 (2022)
Esther Kinsky えすたー きんすきー Winner
Edition 0 (2021)
No winner
Edition 54 (2020)
Clemens J. Setz くれめんす じぇー ぜっつ Winner
Edition 53 (2019)
Ilma Rakusa いるま らくさ Winner
Edition 52 (2018)
Christoph Ransmayr くりすとふ らんすまいやー Winner
Edition 51 (2017)
Ralf Rothmann らるふ ろーとまん Winner
Edition 50 (2016)
Yōko Tawada たわだ ようこ Winner
Edition 49 (2015)
Monika Rinck もにか・りんっく Winner
Edition 48 (2014)
Marcel Beyer まるせる・ばいやー Winner
Edition 47 (2013)
Katja Lange-Müller かてぃや・らんげ＝みゅらー Winner
Edition 46 (2012)
Navid Kermani なゔぃど・けるまーに Winner
Edition 45 (2011)
Sibylle Lewitscharoff しびるれ・れゔぃちゃろふ Winner
Edition 44 (2010)
Ferdinand von Schirach ふぇるでぃなんと・ふぉん・しらっは Winner
Edition 43 (2009)
Arnold Stadler あるのると・しゅたどらー Winner
Edition 42 (2008)
Max Goldt まっくす・ごると Winner
Edition 41 (2007)
Wilhelm Genazino うぃるへるむ・げなつぃーの Winner
Edition 40 (2006)
Daniel Kehlmann だにえる・けーるまん Winner
Edition 39 (2005)
Gert Jonke げると・よんけ Winner
Edition 38 (2004)
Emine Sevgi Özdamar えみね・せゔぃ・おずだまる Winner
Edition 37 (2003)
Albert Ostermaier あるべると・おすたーまいあー Winner
Edition 36 (2002)
Martin Mosebach まるてぃん・もーぜばっは Winner
Edition 35 (2001)
Judith Hermann じゅでぃっと・へるまん Winner
Edition 34 (2000)
Barbara Honigmann ばるばら・ほにひまん Winner
Edition 33 (1998)
Dirk von Petersdorff でぃるく・ふぉん・ぺーたーずどるふ Winner
Edition 32 (1996)
Hans Joachim Schädlich はんす・よあひむ・しぇーどりっひ Winner
Edition 31 (1994)
Herta Müller へるた・みゅらー Winner
Edition 30 (1993)
Ernst Jandl えるんすと やんどる Winner
Edition 29 (1992)
Monika Maron もにか まろん Winner
Edition 28 (1991)
Gaston Salvatore がすとん さるばとーれ Winner
Edition 27 (1990)
Heiner Müller はいなー みゅーらー Winner
Edition 26 (1989)
Ernst Augustin えるんすと あうぐすてぃん Winner
Edition 25 (1988)
Ulrich Horstmann うるりひ ほるすとまん Winner
Edition 24 (1987)
Thomas Brasch とーます ぶらっしゅ Winner
Edition 23 (1986)
Diana Kempff でぃあな けんぷふ Winner
Edition 22 (1985)
Alexander Kluge あれくさんだー くるーげ Winner
Edition 21 (1932)
Richard Billinger りひゃると びりんがー Winner
Else Lasker-Schüler えるざ らすかー しゅーらー Winner
Edition 20 (1931)
Ödön von Horváth おどん ふぉん ほるゔぁーと Winner
Erik Reger えりく れーがー Winner
Edition 19 (1930)
Reinhard Goering らいんはると げーりんぐ Winner
Edition 18 (1929)
Alfred Brust あるふれーと ぶるすと Winner
Eduard Reinacher えどぅあると らいなっはー Winner
Edition 17 (1928)
Anna Seghers あんな ぜーがーす Winner
Edition 16 (1927)
Gerhard Menzel げるはると めんつぇる Winner
Hans Meisel はんす まいぜる Winner
Edition 15 (1926)
Alexander Lernet-Holenia あれくさんだー れるねっと ほれにあ Winner
Alfred Neumann あるふれーと のいまん Winner
Edition 14 (1925)
Carl Zuckmayer かーる つゅっくまいやー Winner
Edition 13 (1924)
Ernst Heinrich Barlach えるんすと ばるらっは Winner
Edition 12 (1923)
Wilhelm Lehmann うぃるへるむ れーまん Winner
Robert Musil ろべると むじる Winner
Edition 11 (1922)
Bertolt Brecht べるとると ぶれひと Winner
Edition 10 (1921)
Paul Gurk Winner
Edition 9 (1920)
Hans Henny Jahnn Winner
Edition 8 (1919)
Anton Dietzenschmidt Winner
Kurt Heynicke Winner
Edition 7 (1918)
Leonhard Frank Winner
Paul Zech Winner
Edition 6 (1917)
Walter Georg Alfred Hasenclever Winner
Edition 5 (1916)
Agnes Miegel Winner
Heinrich Lersch Winner
Edition 4 (1915)
Robert Michel Winner
Arnold Zweig Winner
Edition 3 (1914)
Fritz von Unruh Winner
Hermann Essig Winner
Edition 2 (1913)
Hermann Essig Winner
Oskar Loerke Winner
Edition 1 (1912)
Hermann Burte Winner
Reinhard Johannes Sorge Winner