Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize awarded to Barbara Yelin for “Emmie Arbel. The Color of Memory” – Nov 29, 2024

We are honoured to announce that Barbara Yelin was awarded the annual Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize for children’s and young adult books by the State Office for Political Education in North Rhine-Westphalia for “Emmie Arbel. The Color of Memory” on November 29, 2024. Barbara was welcomed by Director of the Old Synagogue, Dr. Diana Matut and the Mayor of Essen, Thomas Kufen, and presented the award was by the Culture Minister, Ina Brandes, in Essen, Germany. Emmie Arbel also joined for the event, and participated in a reading with Barbara.

The Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize honors books that encourage children and young people to work for human rights, for non-violent forms of conflict resolution, for the integration of minorities and for peaceful coexistence. It is the most important peace policy award for children’s and young adult literature in the German-speaking countries.

The prize was founded in 1982 and commemorates the former Federal President Dr. Gustav W. Heinemann, who gave special impetus to peace research and education.

For more information about the event and award, please refer to the Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Nordrhein-Westfalen: https://www.politische-bildung.nrw/publikationen/heinemann-preis.

Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize awards ceremony on November 29, 2024 at the Old Synagogue in Essen, Germany (photography by Meike Schrömbgens and Roland Zerwinski).