Saxon Award for Democracy

The award honors initiatives and organizations which are striving to create a democratic, welcoming everyday culture.

About the award

The Saxon Award for Democracy, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2016, honors civic initiatives and organizations which are striving to create a democratic, welcoming everyday culture. In recent years, there has been little in the way of encouraging news from Saxony: Zwickau was discovered to be an important cell of the terrorist network known as NSU; PEGIDA has been mobilizing large numbers of its adherents in Dresden since 2015; there has been a substantial, measurable spike in racially motivated hate crimes and resentment against entire ethnic groups, as reported by the 2016 Saxony Monitor; in the 2017 federal elections, the right-wing party AfD received the most votes of any political party in Saxony (albeit just barely).

In order to counteract this shift towards right-wing ideology in the state of Saxony, the Cellex Foundation has made the decision to co-sponsor the Saxony Sponsorship Award for Democracy and support it to the best of its ability.

As a foundation, it is important to us to show our appreciation for all the local organizations and individuals which bolster us in the face of recurring attempts at intimidation by neo-Nazis and proponents of populism and demonstrate another, more friendly side of Saxony. The intention of the award is to honor and encourage these people. Potential candidates for the award are organizations, individuals, and initiatives which

  • are making outstanding efforts to establish a democratic culture in Saxony;
  • are working to encourage and reinforce a democratic coexistence;
  • are actively and innovatively addressing topics such as human rights and the protection of minorities, the causes and consequences of antisemitism, right-wing extremism, and racism;
  • are developing educational and awareness-raising opportunities that promote democracy, oppose racism, or encourage intercultural dialogue; or
  • are providing support to refugees and victims of right-wing violence.

The award also singles out companies and communities that are particularly committed to fighting racism and discrimination.

Support for the Saxon Award for Democracy comes from the following charitable foundations: Amadeu Antonio Stiftung, Freudenberg Stiftung, Sebastian Cobler Stiftung, Cellex Stiftung, Dirk-Oelbermann-Stiftung and Stiftung Elemente der Begeisterung.

An independent jury, comprising members of the above foundations and other prominent individuals in politics, culture, media, and the sciences, screens the candidates and issues two main awards – one project award for 5,000 EUR and a community award not involving any financial reward – as well as several awards of recognition for 1,000 EUR each.