The jury justified its decision by saying that it would like to honor the philosopher and publicist Carolin Emcke, who has been campaigning for better social coexistence for years, as one of the most committed voices in the critical discourses of our time. With unflinching perseverance, she opposes any kind of discrimination, which she opposes with a clear commitment to democracy and the fundamental rights enshrined in it.
What is most impressive about her work is the consistency and precision with which she asks uncomfortable questions about current events in order to illuminate the blind spots in our liberal society. In her format “Streitraum” she succeeds in creating an atmosphere in which mutual listening and respectful cooperation, sometimes even a change of direction of deadlocked thought patterns, becomes possible.
“Courage to change perspective”
Democracy is a project that has to be approached with “attitude and with the courage to change perspectives”, Carolin Emcke said in her speech at the presentation of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in 2016. “Freedom isn’t something you possess, it’s something you have to do,” she proclaimed at the end of her speech, “we must not allow ourselves to be left defenseless and speechless.” Everyone must take responsibility “for all the everyday forms of disregard and humiliation”.
Born in Mülheim an der Ruhr in 1967, Emcke lives in Berlin as a freelance journalist. From 1987 she studied history, philosophy and politics in Berlin, London and Harvard and worked at the “Spiegel” from 1998 to 2006. As a foreign editor, she reported, among other things, from the crisis regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, from 2007 to 2014 also for “Die Zeit”. Her first book was made in 2004 from the letters she sent home between 1999 and 2003. “From the Wars – Letters to Friends” was published by S. Fischer Verlag, where it is still published today.
“Against Hate” is still relevant
Emcke is involved in teaching and research as well as in conversation in order to have an impact on the public. In 2003/04 she lectured at Yale University on “Theories of Violence”. And since 2004 she has curated and moderated the discussion series “Streitraum” at the Berlin Schaubühne, which is now also recognized in the Freinsheim jury statement, for which the audience really likes to queue up once a month on a Sunday.
Emcke’s polemic “Against hatred” was published in 2016. The still current volume “Because it can be said. About Witness and Justice” was published in 2013. In it, she sounded out the possibilities of appropriate war and crisis journalism in a linguistic and self-critical manner.
Memory of Sinsheim work
The award is intended to commemorate Hermann Sinsheimer’s life, work and fate under the Nazi regime of terror and in exile. It honors personalities who have rendered outstanding services to literature and who stand up for tolerance, humanity and fundamental human values in their works.
On the evening before the award ceremony, i.e. on March 18, 2023, the designated winner will introduce herself to the Freinsheim audience. The city of Freinsheim announced that tickets for this should be available from January. rhp
