Katharina Fritsch receives the 50th Goslar Kaiserring – art in focus!

Katharina Fritsch receives the 50th Goslar Kaiserring – art in focus!

On October 11, 2025, the artist Katharina Fritsch was awarded the prestigious Kaiserring in the venerable setting of the Imperial Palace in Goslar. At this celebratory special meeting of the city council, chaired by Mayor Urte Schwerdtner, the 50th anniversary of the Kaiserring was also celebrated. Fritsch, known for her impressive sculptures and paintings, received this prize in recognition of her international artistic achievements.

The laudatory speech was given by Prof. Dr. Marion Ackermann, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation Berlin, who emphasized the creative dimension of Fritsch's work. Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Olaf Lies was also there and emphasized Lower Saxony's pride in the Kaiserring and the Mönchehaus Museum, which is showing a comprehensive exhibition of Fritsch's work until January 18, 2026.

A look at the artist

Katharina Fritsch, born in Essen in 1956, has had a permanent place in the international art scene since the 1980s. Her first exhibition took place as a student at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, and since then she has created numerous notable works. Her sculptures in particular, which often put everyday objects in a new context, are groundbreaking for public art, as the Kaiserring jury also emphasized in their statement. Her works are a fascinating play of size, simplicity and painterly quality that not only stimulates discussion but also promotes a dialogue with the audience.

Fritsch, who also works as a professor at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, is seen as a representative of a new generation of sculptors. Her sculptural works, which are often permeated by consumer motifs and mythological allusions, show a conceptual depth that often appears strange and distant to the viewer.

Impressions from the award ceremony

The award ceremony was also marked by historical figures. In her welcoming speech, Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged Fritsch's unique contribution to art. Anselm Kiefer, himself a Kaiserring winner in 1990, also expressed his appreciation for the list of winners that Fritsch is now on.

The awarding of the Kaiserring was originally announced at a New Year's reception in the Imperial Palace. The decision was made in response to a public call for proposals that highlighted Fritsch's pioneering approaches to the visual arts. Her large-scale and monochrome-colored sculptures have proven suitable objects for the resurgence of public art, and her magnum opus “Table Party” is considered a milestone by many art lovers.

This shows that the awarding of the prize to Katharina Fritsch not only honors her artistic work, but also celebrates an important chapter in contemporary art history in the city of Goslar.