Press release 21.04.2023
Press release from the Lüneburg University Society and the Lüneburg Museum Foundation.
The award ceremony commemorates the famous rescue of a Polish pianist by a German officer in 1944 ( known from the film 'The Pianist').
Lüneburg. On 17 November 1944, a German officer discovers a pianist of Jewish origin in his hiding place in Warsaw. Instead of shooting him, he takes care of him and saves his life. Today, a prize for memory culture projects is named after these two men: the Hosenfeld-Szpilman Prize. This year it went to the Krzyżowa-Music Chamber Music Festival.
Festival director Ph.D. Matthias von Hülsen came to the award ceremony in the Libeskind Building at Leuphana University Lüneburg together with four long-time participants of the Krzyżowa-Music Festival: Miriam Helms Ålien (violin), Pablo Barragán (clarinet), Alexey Stadler (cello) and Amadeus Wiesensee (piano).
"You give us hope," said political scientist Prof. Dr. Gesine Schwan in her laudation towards the musicians. "They unwaveringly believe in the peaceful and joy-giving power of music. Music is the royal road to understanding." Reconciliation in Europe after the German war of aggression would not have been possible without the generosity of neighbouring countries. A "courageous confrontation with guilt" is needed. The Chamber Music Festival aims to overcome the legacy of suffering and prejudice.
Schwan called the meeting between German officer Wilm Hosenfeld and Polish pianist Władysław Szpilman "a deeply moving and comforting human encounter". After the soldier discovered the Jew in his hiding place in Warsaw, he provided him with clothing, blankets and food for weeks. When Hosenfeld himself became a prisoner of war, Szpilman tried to free his saviour. He was unsuccessful. Hosenfeld died in a camp in Stalingrad in 1952.
"It was music that brought them together," - said Polish Consul General Pawel Jaworski in his welcome about men who should be enemies. "We see: the impossible can happen. We must never lose hope and faith, even in difficult times." Referring to Russia's war against Ukraine, he said: "We are not powerless. We are in solidarity. It is the experience of reconciliation that gives us courage".
The festival takes place once a year in Krzyżowa near Wrocław - a place where, during the Second World War, the Krzyżowa Circle, centred around the von Moltke couple, drew up plans for a peaceful post-war Europe. "Making music in this place is clearly more than professional everyday life for all involved. They are citizens of this fractured world," - Matthias von Hülsen said in his acknowledgements. Doctor von Hülsen was a paediatrician in Hamburg and co-founder of the Music Festival in Schleswig-Holstein, later founder and artistic director of the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for many years. He was awarded the Cross of Merit on the Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. During the festival, young and established musicians from all over Europe rehearse pieces from all eras together and discuss how they can use music to promote peace in Europe.
At the award ceremony in the main building of the Leuphana University in Lüneburg, the four festival musicians played, among other things, excerpts from the 'Quartet for the End of Time', composed by Olivier Messiaen in the prisoner of war camp in Görlitz in 1940/41. In the morning, the musicians also visited a high school in Lüneburg and spoke to young people about the quartet and the historical context. "You can learn history with music," - Russian cellist Alexey Stadler said after the award ceremony. "Music gives answers to questions about how things can go on. With our music we defend something that is not obvious: European peace."
Members of the Hosenfeld family also attended the award ceremony. "My father is an example of the fact that it is possible to be human in wartime," - Dr Jorinde Krejci-Hosenfeld, the last of Wilm Hosenfeld's five children, said on the sidelines of the ceremony. "This award is very honourable for us. It is important to show: A German officer can also be different. It is important to say to today's young people: you are not to blame for what happened. But you have a responsibility to make sure it doesn't happen again."
The Hosenfeld-Szpilman Prize was awarded by Leuphana University Lüneburg from 2005 to 2017. In 2023, a board of trustees consisting of the Lüneburg University Society, the Lüneburg Museum Foundation and the Hanseatic City of Lüneburg awarded the prize for the first time. Among the members of the external jury are: Peter Oliver Loew, Director of the German Institute for Polish Affairs in Darmstadt, Dr Elke Gryglewski, Director of the Lower Saxony Memorial Foundation and Prof. Dr Joachim Tauber, Director of the Northeast Institute in Lüneburg.
The prize money is €5,000. The Hosenfeld-Szpilman Prize is funded by the Rotary Club Lüneburg and the Hanseatic City of Lüneburg.
The main building of the Leuphana University in Lüneburg was designed by the (Polish-Jewish) architect Daniel Libeskind.
Excerpts from speeches:
Prof. Dr. Heike Düselder, Director of the Lüneburg Museum and President of the University Society: "This award is part of a culture of remembrance. The Krzyżowa-Music project is based on the idea of friendship. Particularly in the context of war in Europe, it shows that culture is capable of moving great things. Music connects borders and puts up signs. Young people in Europe have the strength and potential to save a world that seems to be coming apart at the seams."
Claudia Kalisch, mayor of the Hanseatic city of Lüneburg: "This award symbolises a humanity that is moving, deeply touching and hopeful. It signifies civil courage and asks questions of us all. The prize is a sign that we do not let history remain history. The time has come when history becomes relevant again: we have a war in the middle of Europe. The prize winners are helping to prevent walls and borders from forming in people's minds. The musicians stand for a Europe of solidarity and peace."
Friedhelm Hosenfeld, grandson of Wilm Hosenfeld, who lives near Flensburg: "This award has a special meaning for our family. It reminds us of our current task: to take responsibility for others. How did it happen that our grandfather started to resist, even though he enjoyed Hitler's rise to power? Thanks to his growing awareness of increasing injustice. He used his freedom courageously. He is an example of a person who remained true to his conscience. The Krzyżowa-Music project fulfils the European agreement with life in an ideal way."
Dr. Andrzej Szpilman, son of Władysław Szpilman, resident in Zurich (as a preface by snail mail): "When I edited the book 'The Pianist', my father thought it was a waste of time. Today it has been translated into 43 languages and has been made into a film by Roman Polanski. This award is important. It is proof that there are good people in Lüneburg who believe in peace. Wilm Hosenfeld's deeds are only half appreciated in Germany. I will not rest until there is a Wilm Hosenfeld street in Berlin."
Prof. (HSG) Dr. Sascha Spoun, Rector of Leuphana University Lüneburg: "What you are experiencing today is civil society in action.
Biographical information
Wilm (actually Wilhelm) Hosenfeld, born on 2 May 1895 in Mackenzell near Fulda. Head of the primary school in Thalau near Fulda from 1927. Died on 13 August 1952 in a prisoner-of-war camp in Stalingrad.
Władysław Szpilman, born on 5 December 1911 in Sosnowiec in what is now Poland. From 1935 he was a pianist with the Polish Radio. He was the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust. He died on 6 July 2000 in Warsaw.
Presentation of the Hosenfeld-Szpilman Prize 2023 in the main building of Leuphana University in Lüneburg. Photo: Teresa Halbreiter
(Translation: Krzyżowa Foundation - The original German text is available HERE)
