23rd Jena Prize for Civil Courage and Charlotte Figulla Prize 2024 awarded

23rd Jena Prize for Civil Courage

The 23rd Jena Prize for Civil Courage went to Moritz Henninger this year. Moritz Henninger showed civil courage during a school event and was an 8th grade student at the time of the incident. After one pupil attacked another, Moritz took care of the injured and distraught boy. He calmed him down with breathing exercises that he had learned from the volunteer fire department.

When the injured boy's father, who had been informed by a teacher, arrived, the situation escalated again. The father threatened the pupil, who had previously attacked his son, severely and even became violent. Moritz remained calm, supported the teacher by calling for help on the phone, and calmed and supported the frightened pupils standing around. Despite the risk of attracting the father's attention, he acted quickly and constructively. Afterwards, he also appeared as a witness to the police. The incident took place on 18.06.2024.

Stephanie Rudolph, deputy principal of TGS "An der Trießnitz", held the laudatory speech. The €1,000 prize was donated this year by ORISA Software GmbH, which was represented on the evening by Managing Director Matthias Schwuchow.

Charlotte Figulla Prize 2023

Together with the Jena Prize for Civil Courage, the Thuringia-wide school and youth competition Charlotte Figulla Prize was awarded. The changing themes of the prize are intended to encourage discussion of the topics of democracy, society, openness to the world, tolerance and the fight against group-related misanthropy.

The Charlotte Figulla Prize was awarded for the 20th time this year. The theme of this year's prize was "Dispute & Reconciliation". The winners this time were

• Pupils from German course 11 at Ernst-Abbe-Gymnasium Jena for their entries entitled A journey to reconciliation.
• The "School against Racism - School with Courage" working group from the Kaleidoskop School in Jena for their contribution entitled Changing schools with obstacles.
• Pupils from grades 7/1 and 7/2 at the Rutheneum Gera for their contribution entitled View from 7th graders on the topic.
• Lea Jungk and Max Kley from class 12 of the vocational grammar school in Sundhausen for their contribution Streit, die Folgen - Versöhnung?