Goethe Medal for Art and Science

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The Goethe Medal for Art and Science was donated by Reich President Paul von Hindenburg to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Goethe's death on March 22, 1932. The silver medal was awarded in two versions: from March 1932 to June 1934 by Paul von Hindenburg in a version designed by Waldemar Raemisch . The front bears the inscription "Donated for art and science in the Goethe year 1932. The President of the Reich" , the reverse shows a portrait of Goethe. With a diameter of 62 mm (from 1938 69.5 mm) it was not intended to be worn. The National Socialist version, awarded by Adolf Hitler from November 1934 to December 1944, showed a portrait of Goethe on the obverse and the imperial eagle with a swastika wreath on the reverse, as well as the inscription "For Art and Science". In total, the medal was awarded to 601 people.

Awarded by Hindenburg

Originally intended as recognition for people who had made a contribution to the Goethe celebration in Weimar in 1932 , the Goethe Medal was awarded by Hindenburg to a large number of artists, scientists, civil servants and politicians.

Among the first recipients of the medal were Chancellor Heinrich Brüning and the Nobel Prize winners Gerhart Hauptmann and Thomas Mann . From April 1932 Max Planck , Nicholas Murray Butler , André Gide , Knut Hamsun , Verner von Heidenstam , Guglielmo Marconi , Albert Schweitzer , Fritz Haber , Albrecht Penck and Richard Willstätter followed . Around a quarter of those who had been awarded the Goethe Medal for Art and Science up to 1934 were foreigners. Typically, women were given little consideration at the time; only Ricarda Huch , Agnes Miegel , Ina Seidel , Feodora von Sachsen-Weimar , Enrica von Handel-Mazzetti and the Turkish writer Seniha Bedri were found to be worthy.

Up to Hindenburg's death in August 1934, 195 people had been awarded the medal: 160 people from March 1932 to January 1933 and 35 people from February 1933 to June 1934. By January 1933, at least eleven Germans of Jewish origin von Hindenburg had been awarded the Goethe Medal for Art and science have been honored, for example Adolph Goldschmidt on his 70th birthday on January 15, 1933. The last award of the medal in Hindenburg's name was on June 19, 1934.

Awarded by Hitler

Front of a Goethe medal. Inscription: Donated by President von Hindenburg in 1932

After assuming the functions of Reich President, Hitler awarded the medal in a modified form from November 1934. From 1934, the award of the medal was generally limited to major birthdays or other important days of remembrance. Politically unpleasant people and Jews within the meaning of the Nuremberg Laws were no longer considered. In total, this version was awarded to 406 people. In the war years, the medal lost its original reputation as it was awarded more and more frequently. The last award took place in December 1944.

Back of a Goethe medal. Inscription: Goethe

Awards by year:

  • 1934 - 2
  • 1935 - 9
  • 1936 - 8
  • 1937-18
  • 1938 - 18
  • 1939-35
  • 1940-52
  • 1941-62
  • 1942-66
  • 1943-69
  • 1944-67

Other carriers (selection)

1932

1933

1936

1937

1938

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

Year unclear

Other Goethe honors

The Goethe Medal for Art and Science should not be confused with the Golden Goethe Medal of the Weimar Goethe Society , the Goethe Medal of the Goethe Institute , the Goethe Prize of the City of Frankfurt , the Goethe Plaque of the City of Frankfurt am Main or the Goethe Badge of the State of Hesse .

literature

  • Kurt-G. Klietmann : State Civil Awards. Weimar Republic and Third Reich . Motorbuch, Stuttgart 1990, ISBN 3-613-01300-2 .
  • Hartmut Heyck: Goethe - Hindenburg - Hitler. The history of the creation and award of the Goethe Medal for Art and Science (1932–1944) with the names of 600 recipients. Self-published, Gloucester 2009, ISBN 978-0-9812182-1-2 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Adolph Goldschmidt: Memoirs. Edited by Marie Roosen-Runge-Mollwo. Berlin 1989, p. 342.
  2. ^ Description of the original Goethe medal