Influential humanists: These are the winners of the Goethe Medal 2026

Influential humanists: The winners of the Goethe Medal 2026 August 28, 2026Estonian classical music composer Arvo Pärt, Italian literary translator Anita Raja and Greek theater director and actor Prodromos Tsinikoris are the three recipients of the 2026 Goethe Medal, an annual award that honors international public figures who contribute to creating cultural bridges between Germany and partner countries. The annual award, presented this year on August 28 in Weimar, is one of the most prestigious awards in Germany for international cultural work. So what connects these three personalities to Germany's culture? A prolific German exile: Estonian composer Arvo Pärt Considered one of the most influential figures in contemporary classical music since the 1960s, the Estonian composer is renowned for his minimalist, contemplative compositional technique called "tintinnabula." With his iconic works including "Für Alina" (1976), "Fratres" (1977), "Tabula rasa" (1977) and "Spiegel im Spiegel" (1978), Pärt is one of the most performed living composers in the world. In 1980, the composer was forced to leave his home country, and his works were banned in the Soviet Union. After leaving then Soviet Estonia, Pärt settled in West Berlin with his family. He lived in Germany for nearly three decades. "Germany plays such an important part in my father's work," Michael Pärt told DW. The composer's son added that his renowned father found creative freedom through his collaborations with different German conductors and musicians. He was also inspired to compose works to German texts. Pärt's minimalist and spiritual works found a broad audience in the West thanks to the recordings of Manfred Eicher, founder of the Munich-based record label ECM. After Estonia gained independence in 1991, Pärt reestablished contacts with his home country and returned there permanently in 2010. The composer, who turned 90 in September 2025, now lives in the Estonian village of Laulasmaa, where the Arvo Pärt Centre opened in 2018. It is directed by his son, Michael Pärt, who will be traveling to Weimar to pick up the award on behalf of his father. One of the most significant translators from German into Italian: Anita Raja Born in Naples in 1953 to an Italian father and a German mother, Anita Raja studied literature in Rome, where she still lives. Specialized in the translation of modern German-language authors, Raja introduced East German author Christa Wolf to Italian readers with her translation of "Cassandra" in the early 1980s. "Anita Raja's translation is a translation from woman to woman. It's very empathetic, very powerful. It shows that there really was a surprisingly magical connection between the author and the translator," noted renowned Italian actor Sonia Bergamasco at a recent event marking the release of a new edition of the novel. Wolf became a widely celebrated author in Italy thanks to this first translation, and Raja then went on to translate many more of Wolf's novels. She has also translated the works of other major German-language writers, including Georg Büchner, Franz Kafka and Ingeborg Bachmann. All while translating literature, Raja also worked full-time as a librarian in Rome. She became the founding director of the Biblioteca Europea in Rome in 2005, heading it for more than 10 years. She turned the library into a model project focusing on the promotion of European cultures, languages and international cooperation. Prodromos Tsinikoris: Documentary theater as a bridge between cultures Born in the West German city of Wuppertal in 1981 as the son of Greek labor migrants, Prodromos Tsinikoris is one of the leading voices in contemporary Greek and European theater. As a theater director, actor and dramaturg, he creates documentary productions exploring the themes of migration, social inequality and historical perspectives. His audio walk "In the middle of the street" centers on homeless people during Greece's financial crisis. The documentary theater production "Clean City," co-created with Anestis Azas, focuses on the lives of migrant cleaners, juxtaposing their personal testimonies with the rhetoric of neo-fascist movements who want to "clean" Greece of its foreigners and refugees. In the play "96%" Tsinikoris deals with the Holocaust of the Jews of Thessaloniki and the looting of their property during the Nazi occupation. From 2015 to 2020, Tsinikoris directed the Experimental Stage at the National Theater in Athens. Today, he is co-curator of the International Forest Festival in Thessaloniki and teaches at the National Theater's directing school in Athens. Many of Tsinikoris' plays have been developed and presented in Germany. His work has also circulated broadly across Europe, particularly through documentary theater festivals and major public theaters. Edited by: Brenda Haas