## Celebrating Regional History & Culture: The Annalize Wagner Prize & Foundation
Dr. Friederike Werner of Heidelberg has been awarded the 34th Annalize Wagner Prize for her groundbreaking study, “The ‘Egyptian’ Secret or: The Veiled Temples of Hohenzieritz and Berlin 1795/1850.” This innovative work marks the first Egyptological examination of Hohenzieritz Castle, located between Neubrandenburg and Neustrelitz, promising a captivating cultural-historical exploration.
The Annalize Wagner Prize, and the accompanying “Reading Tip” exhibition, offer a unique prospect to reflect on the identity and future of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as the state celebrates its 35th birthday. The exhibition showcases “good examples” of how texts preserve knowledge, foster communication, and inspire reflection on our shared history and future.It highlights the vital role of authors and texts in maintaining a vibrant democratic culture of remembrance and collective memory.
The Annalize Wagner Foundation, established in 1991, is a testament to the enduring legacy of local researcher, archivist, and author Annalize Wagner (1903-1986). Wagner dedicated her life to preserving the “historical memory” of the Mecklenburg-Strelitz region, founding an archive, initiating a museum, and publishing numerous regional studies. Her long-held dream of a regional literary prize,unrealizable under GDR law,was realized following the reunification of Germany and the creation of the state of mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The foundation was the first new cultural foundation established in the state and one of the earliest new foundations in East germany post-1990.The “Reading Tip Annalize Wagner Prize” exhibition will coincide with several key events in september and October 2025,including the “Cultural Autumn Mecklenburg Lake District” (September 6th – 21st),the “Week of Civic Engagement” (september 12th – 21st),the “Days of Political Education in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania” (September 15th – October 3rd),the “International Day of Democracy” (September 15th),the “European Day of Foundations” (October 1st),and “Libraries Day” (October 24th). Notably, the Neubrandenburg Regional Library, hosting the exhibition, is one of the few public libraries in Germany with an integrated foundation office.
The exhibition, “Reading Tip Annalize Wagner Prize,” will be held from September 5th to October 25th, 2025, at the exhibition area of the Neubrandenburg Regional Library (Marketplace 1). All are welcome to visit during opening hours. Prize-winning texts are available for loan in the library’s lending section or regional literature collection, and further information on each title can be found online at the Annalize Wagner Foundation website.
