Obermayer Awards 2025 Guidelines for Nomination
Overview
This document will guide you through the entire nomination process, as well as address commonly asked questions. See also: Online Nomination Form and Sample letters and index (.pdf)
Thank you for your interest in the Obermayer Awards. Since 2000, the Obermayer Awards have annually honored individuals and organizations who have worked creatively and selflessly to raise awareness of Jewish history and heritage in their communities across Germany. In many places, this work has been crucial in taking a stand against hate, prejudice, and antisemitism, and advancing the cause of intergenerational and intercultural healing.
The Obermayer Awards were founded by Dr. Arthur S. Obermayer and his wife, Dr. Judith Obermayer. Arthur Obermayer (1931–2016) was an accomplished American entrepreneur, scientist, and activist whose grandparents all came from southern Germany.
The awards are presented each January in cooperation with the Berlin Parliament. They are the focal point of Parliament’s annual marking of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The 2025 awards will be presented in late January 2025. The Deadline for nominations is July 1 2024.
The 2025 ceremony will mark the 25th year the Obermayer Awards have been presented. We see this as an important milestone and a beacon of hope and solidarity in what can otherwise be viewed as an uncertain moment in history. We steadfastly look forward to recognizing another group of awardees and celebrating their work
The awards process and ceremony are administered by Widen the Circle, a nonprofit organization supported by the Obermayer Foundation, with cosponsorship by the Leo Baeck Institute (New York).
Timeline
April 15, 2024: Nominations open
July 1, 2024: Deadline for submitting a nomination
July - September 2024: Widen the Circle reviews nominations and prepares them for the jury. The jury makes its final decisions in September.
By October 1, 2024: Award winners are notified.
October 2024 - January 2025: Short films and written profiles of the winners are prepared. Widen the Circle coordinates with winners and their nominators in preparation for the ceremony.
January 2025: The formal announcement of winners occurs in early January.
Late January 2025: The Obermayer Awards ceremony takes place in Berlin. The ceremony will be broadcast on the internet through the Widen the Circle and Berlin Parliament websites.
Who Is Eligible
The Obermayer Awards are open to both individual Germans and German organizations. Awardees typically fit into one of two categories.
The History and Remembrance category honors candidates who have made extraordinary contributions to preserving, raising awareness of, or breathing new life into German Jewish history and culture. Typically, this work has been pursued over the course of years.
The History and Anti-prejudice category honors candidates who have effectively used the lessons of history and a connection to remembrance in their work, which should be aimed at preventing contemporary bigotry and fostering understanding among disparate groups.
Together, those we honor exemplify how acknowledging a country’s dark past can become a motivation to improve the present and future.
If candidates are paid for their work it either needs to go far beyond what would be expected from someone in their position or their impact needs to be extraordinary given their position and resources. For organizations, extra consideration is given if the work has a strong volunteer component.
Completing the Nomination Form
The 2025 Obermayer Award online nomination form is available on the Widen the Circle website.
The application consists of 5 steps,:
Step 1: Initial Registration and Contact Information
Step 2: Short Response Questions Regarding the Nomination and Nominee
Step 3: Main Statement for Nomination (up to 2,000 words)
Step 4: Letters of Support (100-300 words each)
Step 5: Supplementary Materials
1. Initial Registration and Contact Information
This will help us clearly organize and track nominations, making it easier for us to provide assistance to you if questions arise. (Note that this contact information is for the purposes of the award application only and will never be shared with other organizations.)
In this section, you will be asked to choose whether your candidate best fits into the History and Remembrance category or the History and Anti-prejudice category. (See “Which Category Should You Choose,” below, for help if you’re unsure.) This choice isn’t binding, but it helps the jury understand the context of the nomination, and it helps us keep track of what types of nominations to expect.
2. Short Response Questions Regarding the Nomination and Nominee
In this section we will ask for a number of short responses. These questions are aimed at clarifying key information that the jury will consider in its deliberations, including project timelines, professional standing, and what work is done on a volunteer basis and what is done as part of a paid position. For organizations, it is helpful for the jury to understand how many individuals are involved in the work, where the funding comes from, and the scope of the overall activity. All of this helps the jury construct a clear, holistic picture of the organization’s or individual’s work.
3. Main Statement for Nomination (up to 2,000 words)
In no more than 2,000 words, please tell us about the candidate, including background and relevant activities. Describe what you know of their personal biography or organizational history, creative process, and projects, as well as any particularly important challenges they have faced. For example:
What was the original motivation for starting the work?
What is the candidate trying to accomplish, and what positive outcomes has the candidate achieved?
What activities has the candidate undertaken to achieve those results?
How has the candidate’s work evolved over time?
If you are nominating someone else, include your personal motivation for making the nomination. Please describe any impact the nominee’s work has had on you. Also include anything extraordinary about their work's impact on others, whether in their community or beyond. (Note that the impact of the work is an important element that the jury will take into account.)
4. Letters of Support (100-300 words each)
Letters of support are important to the jury. You may submit up to 15 letters for the jury to consider as it evaluates the candidate and their work. Additionally, we ask you to submit a simple overview index / list of the letters, ranking them in order of importance to the nomination. We limit the number of letters and ask you to prioritize them so that the jury will be able to give the best consideration to the content submitted.
Letters of support should show the depth of impact the candidate’s work has had on individuals and/or the broader community. Letters of support fall into three categories: Impact References, Personal References, and Expert References. If you are nominating yourself, you should also submit a short Candidate Statement.
Preferred length for each letter of support is 100 to 300 words.
Please be sure to include the following information for each letter of support: Name, Title and Organization (if applicable), Address, Phone, Email, and the writer’s relationship to the candidate (if applicable).
Please see the sample index and letters (downloadable .pdf).
Understanding the Different Types of Statements of Support
The jury looks for three different types of letters of support. It is helpful to have at least one in each category.
Impact References
Impact references come from individuals who have been positively impacted by the candidate’s work and/or who can provide perspective on its scope and the impact the work has on others. These types of references are important to the jury. Letters from survivors or their families can be particularly helpful. Likewise, letters that show that the work has changed the outlook or worldview of a person or people can provide additional understanding of the work’s impact.
Letters should describe:
How the writer has been personally impacted by the work
What impact the writer has seen the work have on others
Why, personally, the writer is supporting the nomination
Personal References
Please provide one or more supporting references from prominent people who know the candidate’s character or the character of the leaders of the candidate organization.
Expert References
Please provide one or more supporting references from individuals who are experts in the field that best represents the candidate’s activities or accomplishments. For example:
Making history real and relating it to today
Changing/countering beliefs about prejudice and tolerance
Starting a movement or building a network
Candidate Statement (optional)
If you are nominating yourself for the award or would like to ask the candidate you are nominating for a contribution, please include a personal statement. The letter should be no more than 200 words and should focus on your/their motivation to undertake and continue this work.
5. Supplementary Materials
Supplementary materials are optional. You may submit up to eight supplementary items for the jury to consider as it evaluates the candidate and their work. Additionally, we ask you to submit a simple overview index / list of the materials, ranking them in order of importance to the nomination. We limit the number of supplementary items and ask you to prioritize them so that the jury will be able to give the best consideration to the content submitted.
If an item is extensive, such as a book or website, for example, we ask you to pinpoint (next to the index listing) areas that you would most like the jury to see, such as a specific chapter or certain pages. Supplementary materials might include:
Publications and mentions in the press about the candidate(s) or their work
Videos and/or photos of exhibits, events, etc.
Materials from educational activities, workshops, and other events, as well as reconstructions and renovations
Documentation of the candidate’s work being applied to other situations or geographies
Please see the sample index and supplementary item attached to the end of this document.*
To help the jury understand the context of your nomination, we ask you to choose the category in which the nominee’s work fits best: History and Remembrance or History and Anti-prejudice. Almost all remembrance work has a component of combating prejudice, so you might be unsure of the category in which your candidate fits best.
For the History and Remembrance category, we seek to honor those who have illuminated the vital role Jews played in German society for hundreds of years before the Nazis tried to exterminate them. This work crosses many realms and has included restoring cultural sites, researching community history and genealogy, storytelling, community building, working with students, developing programs and publications, and creating artworks and public exhibitions. Together, these efforts make history and some of its most profound lessons accessible to current-day audiences and promote healing.
For the History and Anti-prejudice category, we seek to honor those who fight against current prejudice (including antisemitism) and racism through innovative efforts, using the lessons of history and a connection to remembrance. Awards in this track will be given to people or organizations in Germany that are taking noteworthy steps to combat prejudice, as well as foster the kind of understanding among different groups that prevents prejudice from taking root.
Still unsure? Contact us at award@obermayer.us. We’ll be happy to help.
Questions? Clarifications?
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions. Just e-mail Rebecca Richards-Kramer and Bryan Fellbusch at award@obermayer.us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for an Obermayer Award?
The Obermayer Awards generally recognize work done on a local, grassroots level by individuals or typically small organizations involved in history, remembrance, and anti-prejudice efforts. If candidates are paid for their work, the work either needs to go far beyond what would be expected from someone in their position or its impact needs to be extraordinary given their position and resources. For organizations, special consideration is given if there is a strong volunteer component. Award candidates must be based in Germany and conduct work there.
Are academics (professors, professional researchers, etc.) eligible?
The Obermayer Awards jury will consider, for example, candidates who work in academia. However, the award is not traditionally an award for academics. The efforts considered for the award should go far beyond what would be expected from someone in their position, or their impact needs to be extraordinary given their resources. We do not honor work that is part of a candidate’s standard professional obligations. It must be clear which body of work the candidate is being nominated for and how that work is distinct from work done as part of the candidate’s regular job responsibilities.
Is a German living outside of Germany eligible for the award?
In order to receive the award, the candidate must be living in Germany at the time of the nomination. Nominated organizations must be based in Germany.
Are those outside of Germany or international organizations doing relevant work eligible for the award?
Currently, the Obermayer Awards only recognize individuals and organizations based in and operating in Germany.
Can a candidate be recognized for a single project or effort?
Candidates are recognized for their impact over a period of years. Typically, this involves a number of varied projects. The jury also considers single projects that have had significant impact and continue over the course of several years. The jury typically does not consider candidates who have worked on a single project with a defined beginning and end.
How long does a candidate need to be doing their work to be considered for an Obermayer Award?
There is no set amount of time required, but the awards recognize people and organizations that have impacted their communities over a number of years. The jury does not consider candidates involved in one-time efforts such as, for example, organizing a single remembrance event, producing one film, or writing one book.
Is a candidate who has already received a great number of awards and recognitions eligible?
Candidates are awarded based on their body of work, whether or not they have been honored by other organizations or received extensive publicity. However, the jury does give additional weight to people and organizations that are doing important work but have yet to receive extensive credit.
Can I renominate a candidate who was not selected in the past? Can I use the same application?
Candidates may be renominated after two years (allowing for one full award cycle before the renomination.) For example, an unsuccessful candidate nominated for the 2024 awards may be renominated for the 2026 awards. Renominated candidates are more likely to be successful when significant new work and information is added to the nomination. If you are considering renominating a candidate, please contact us at award@obermayer.us. We will be happy to discuss ways to strengthen the nomination.
Can someone who’s work is done as part of their job be nominated?
Individual candidates who do professional work on remembrance and anti-prejudice projects can be nominated. However, we typically do not consider work that is part of a candidate’s regular professional obligations. If candidates are paid for their work, the work either needs to go far beyond what would be expected from someone in their position or its impact needs to be extraordinary given their position/resources. For instance, if the candidate were the curator of a Jewish museum, exhibits created as part of the candidate’s regular duties would not be considered. However, work done in the community, such as organizing programs to connect with survivors and descendants, or leading an effort to restore the Jewish cemetery could be considered, as long as these projects go far beyond what would normally be expected in the candidate’s role. For organizations that are nominated for the Award, the jury gives additional weight to those that have a strong volunteer component.
Are the Awards focused on the Holocaust and the Nazi era?
It is important to the jury to help people understand that Jews were an integral part of German society for centuries before the Nazi era. While the crimes of the Nazis must never be forgotten or minimized, the jury favors efforts that show Jews in a broader context and not just as victims, and that promote an understanding of Jewish culture.