Birkner-Stiftung

The Birkner Foundation was established in 1997 in Leipzig in memory of the illustrator and book designer Karl-Heinz Birkner (1919–1995). It is a legally recognized foundation under civil law and sees itself as an independent, non-profit civic foundation for culture and art. Works from Birkner’s estate as well as from other visual artists are preserved, curated, and transferred to museums for the public. A central purpose of funding is the annual awarding of the Birkner Prize for outstanding achievements to students of the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig, preferably in the fields of illustration and book design.

The mission of the Birkner Foundation is the promotion, preservation, and dissemination of artistic works and the support of young talents in the fields of illustration and book design. It aims to strengthen creative education at the Leipzig Academy of Visual Arts, secure artistic estates and make them accessible to the public, as well as to foster cultural exchange in Germany.

Funding is provided primarily to students and graduates of the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig, preferably from the fields of Illustration and Book Design. In addition, the foundation is aimed at museums and research institutions that take over artistic estates (e.g., drawings, illustrations, book design) and prepare them for research and exhibitions.