Award of the Walter Dexel Prize 2024

Friedrich Herrmann won the Thuringian state poetry slam championships in Gera in 2015 and the Saxon state championships in Dresden in 2017. In 2018, he reached the final of the German-language poetry slam championships in Zurich for the first time, where he came fourth. In 2019, he was German-speaking runner-up in the team competition and "German-speaking Poetry Slam Champion" in the individual competition.

Over the past 10 years, Friedrich Herrmann has initiated numerous events in Jena that have shaped and enriched the cultural diversity of Jena and have been received by an enthusiastic audience ever since. In recent years, he has welcomed well over 20,000 spectators to more than 130 different events. Not only do visitors travel from far and wide to attend these events, but also well-known guest poets from all over the German-speaking world.

The press has praised Friedrich Herrmann as a "multi-talent in storytelling, poetry and comedy - fast-paced, profound, playful, with attitude and a mischievous smile that conceals an excellent sense of humor."

Born in 1989, Friedrich Herrmann has rendered outstanding services to the development of artistic and cultural life in Jena and always works with professional standards not only on his own projects, but also offers young talents from Jena and beyond the chance to perform, receive feedback and improve with his formats and workshops.

He also works as an author and gives seminars on creative writing and stage presence with young people and adults. Herrmann himself is on the road as an organizer and artist throughout the German-speaking world and beyond and manages to attract the greats of the scene to his events in Jena through collaborations.

The jury, which includes Johannes Schleußner, Friedrun Vollmer, Tim Helbig and Dr. Jörg Vogel, decided on 11 December 2024 that he should be the first Walter Dexel Prize winner of the city of Jena in 2024.

The newly profiled prize serves - according to the principles - to support preferably younger artists (up to 45 years of age) who have made a lasting contribution to the development of Jena's artistic and cultural life through their own artistic activities, i.e. for at least 3 years, and who work with a professional artistic standard, thus achieving supra-regional impact and also standing up to national comparison.

The prize is endowed with 5,000 euros and honors outstanding artistic achievements with supra-regional appeal. The prize money is provided by JenaKultur.

Johannes Schleußner: "Jena's art scene is diverse, unique and young. A glance at the impressive list of artists who have been honored under the name of Walter Dexel since 1997shows this. Without question, Friedrich Herrmann adds further brilliance to this series. His commitment to artistic and cultural development in Jena is tireless, indispensable and deserves the highest recognition. The Walter Dexel Prize not only honors his outstanding artistic achievements, but also his lasting influence on cultural life in Jena."

Friedrun Vollmer: "By choosing Friedrich Herrmann, we are also paying tribute to a still young modern genre. I am convinced that Walter Dexel, who organized Dada evenings as part of his management activities at the Jenaer Kunstverein in the early 20th century and, as a commercial artist, certainly had good access to the word, would have enjoyed this performative and self-staging word art. At the same time, I would like to thank those who have contributed to reorganizing an award as rich in tradition as the one named after Walter Dexel, which has been honouring artists from Jena for almost 30 years, and adapting it to current requirements."

Friedrich Herrmann: "This is how a year can start. I was delighted. The award is a great honor. I would do what I do in Jena even without awards. But when something like this comes on top of that, it's all the nicer."

The award ceremony will take place on February 27, 6 pm, at Kassa. A big thank you for your support at the event!