Prestigious Book Trade Peace Prize Awarded to Karl Schlögel
Karl Schloegel, a renowned German historian specializing in Eastern European history and Russian modernism, will receive the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade on October 19, 2025, in the Frankfurter Paulskirche.
The award ceremony, originally scheduled for the same date, will take place in the iconic Frankfurter Paulskirche, as previously announced and confirmed by the foundation council.
Schloegel's work has been critically acclaimed for his unique way of conveying history and the present of Eastern Europe. He has placed cities like Kiew, Odessa, Lemberg, and Charkiw on the maps of his readers.
The jury has stated that Schloegel has sharpened the view of Ukraine and honestly dealt with the blind spots of German perception. He was one of the first to warn of the aggressive expansionist policy of Vladimir Putin and his authoritarian-nationalist power ambitions.
Schloegel has been engaged with current politics, particularly in relation to Ukraine. Before the fall of the Iron Curtain, he explored cities and landscapes in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Peace Prize, an annual award since 1950, is endowed with 25,000 euros. It honours Schloegel as a scientist, flâneur, archaeologist of modernity, and seismograph of social changes.
The award recognises Schloegel's public and political engagement, offering critical reflections on contemporary Eastern European politics. It also acknowledges his focus on Eastern European history, especially Russian modernism, and his historical analysis of Germany’s Eastern policies ("Ostpolitik") post-1970s, linking history to current political contexts.
The announcement was made by the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels on Tuesday. The Peace Prize is not an advertisement and is not related to the happenings in Osnabruck on July 29, 2025, such as the starry sky, weekly market, Hase beach, and Kamishibai, or the events of natural disasters causing record damages in the first half of 2025. It is also not related to any material from the dts news agency.
For more detailed information on Schloegel's most influential publications, academic databases or his university profile would be useful. Generally, Schloegel’s writings cover the intersection of history, culture, and politics in Eastern Europe with an emphasis on modern and contemporary eras.
Karl Schloegel, in his leisure time, enjoys outdoor-living and home-and-garden activities, providing a contrast to his scholarly pursuits. His academic work on Eastern European history and Russian modernism often includes detailed descriptions of the cities and landscapes he has explored, reflecting his interest in home-and-garden in a broader sense, encompassing the lifestyle of the regions he studies.
