Monika Grütters, who served as Germany’s culture minister under Angela Merkel, is to be awarded the country’s Cultural Policy Award for “fearlessly” promoting the interests of artists and cultural venues, the jury said on Tuesday.
During Grütters’ time in office from 2013 to 2021, “she was fearlessly committed to the interests of artists,” said the German Culture Council, an umbrella organization representing cultural associations.
Grütters also advocated “loud and clear” for culture to be protected by Germany’s Basic Law, the country’s de-facto constitution, the council noted.
Conservative politician Grütters, 63, served as Commissioner for Culture and Media under chancellor Angela Merkel from 2013 to 2021.
The end of her tenure coincided with the coronavirus pandemic, which forced cultural venues to temporarily shut down.
During that difficult period, Grütters “was committed and uncompromising in her efforts to ease the situation for artists and cultural institutions in times when culture could only take place virtually, or not at all,” the statement said.
The prize is set to be awarded in Berlin on September 24.
Previous laureates include art historian Bénédicte Savoy, climate researcher Hans Joachim Schellnhuber and the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster. The award has been presented since 2021.