The Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig is committed to the memory of the Peaceful Revolution that took place in East Germany in 1989. Freedom of speech and unrestricted gathering of information through a free and independent press were key demands of the civil rights activists and demonstrators during the Leipzig Monday demonstrations at that time. Through the annual awarding of the “Prize for the Freedom and Future of the Media”, the Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig supports the freedom of press and with it the memento of the events of 1989.
The defense of the freedom of press is more important than ever. Even in free societies it is endangered: the patterns of suppression of information are becoming more subtle.
By awarding further prizes - such as the “Günther Eich Prize” and the “Axel Eggebrecht Prize” - the Foundation promotes culturally and qualitatively sophisticated work in text, sound and film.
All awards of the Media Foundation are summarised under the generic term “Leipzig Media Award”.