Max Brauer Prize

The Max Brauer Prize is an award endowed with €20,000, which has been presented annually since 1993 to outstanding individuals and non-profit organizations of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. In memory of Max Brauer, the last mayor of Altona before 1933 and the first mayor of Hamburg after 1946, the prize honors exceptional commitment in the fields of culture, science, art, and social cohesion. The award is decided by an independent board of trustees, which selects recipients based on cultural and scientific merits. Formal applications are not possible; laureates are identified and confirmed through proposals and research conducted by the board members. This continuous awarding process keeps the Max Brauer Prize flexible and open to diverse projects and initiatives that sustainably enrich the intellectual life of the city.

The award is aimed at individuals, associations, initiatives, and educational institutions based in Hamburg that set new impulses through their initiatives and shape the city’s cultural, scientific, or social landscape. The Max Brauer Prize encourages the honorees to continue their work and signals public recognition of their dedication. Through the one-time funding of €20,000, impulses are created for further projects that contribute to Hamburg’s diversity and innovative strength. The Alfred Toepfer Foundation F.V.S., as the sponsor of the prize, thereby promotes sustainable commitment and strengthens cohesion within the urban society – a lasting symbol of civic responsibility and creativity.