Democracy thrives on active and visible leadership. Jointly awarded by the European Democracy Institute and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW), the Fritz Stern Award for Democratic Engagement honors individuals who have made significant contributions to global democratic culture and practice across the academic, cultural, and political spheres. The award is given on a regular basis and fosters a vibrant community with a lasting impact on democratic discourse.
The Award
About the Award
The Fritz Stern Award for Democratic Engagement honors individuals or organizations with significant achievements in standing up for democracy around the world. Named after the esteemed European and American historian and intellectual Fritz Stern, the award celebrates those who embody the principles Stern championed throughout his life: a dedication to democracy and freedom as well as intellectual integrity and curiosity.
About the Award
Fritz Stern made significant contributions to understanding modern European history and totalitarianism. Born in Germany in 1926, he fled the Nazi regime with his family and immigrated to the United States in 1938. Stern’s academic journey began with his undergraduate studies at Columbia University, where he later earned his Ph.D. and spent his entire professional career, becoming one of the foremost experts on the German Reich and the Weimar Republic as well as the University’s provost. Stern’s work provides deep insights into the dangers of authoritarianism and the importance of widely shared democratic values. His notable works include The Politics of Cultural Despair (1974), Gold and Iron (1977), and Five Germanys I Have Known (2006). His scholarship, teaching, and public engagement were marked by a pro-found understanding of the link between the pursuit of truth in scholarship and democratic principles.
The Fritz Stern Award for Democratic Engagement reaffirms Stern’s legacy by recognizing and highlighting champions of democracy. By making democracy visible, the award encourages new generations to uphold democratic principles and continue the vital work of promoting freedom and intellectual integrity around the world. The European Democracy Institute at Bard College Berlin and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities will honor the recipient at an award ceremony at which she or he will deliver a lecture. In order to substantively engage the public in debates about democracy, the award ceremony will be supplemented by a public conference on the following day, including experts, students, civil society actors, the media and corporate representatives. The leadership of Bard College Berlin and the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities jointly decided to give the inaugural award to Małgorzata Maria Gersdorf, former First President of the Supreme Court of Poland on January 28, 2026.
Selection Process
The recipients of the Fritz Stern Award for Democratic Engagement are selected jointly by Bard College Berlin and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Nominations can be made by Bard Faculty and Members of BBAW.
Selection Process
The joint jury consists of the following persons: Leon Botstein (President, Bard College Berlin), Christoph Markschies (President of BBAW), Florian Becker (Managing Director, Bard College Berlin), Ute Frevert (President, Max Weber Stiftung / Academy Member), Katharina Holzinger (Rector of Konstanz University / Academy Member), Steffen Mau (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin / Academy Member), Catherine Toal (Dean, Bard College Berlin), and the directors of the European Democracy Institute, Berit Ebert/Boris Vormann (represented with one vote together for the European Democracy Institute).
Award Recipients
2026: Małgorzata Maria Gersdorf, former First President of the Supreme Court of Poland