Distinction
Preventing anti-Semitism: school book team wins new Henny Brenner Prize
Prof. Dr. Tanja Gojny (left) and other representatives of Claudius Verlag accepted the award in Berlin from Felix Klein (5th from left), Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany, and Simone Oldenburg (2nd from right), President of the Conference of Ministers of Education. // Photo: BMI
The jury praised the work "OrtswechselPlus" for year nine for presenting a "differentiated, multi-perspective picture of Judaism". In the jury's judgement, the chapter on Judaism is "one of the best ever seen in religion and ethics textbooks". The presentation of Jewish diversity, which includes both religious and secular identities and counteracts common clichés through personal texts, was particularly emphasised.
Dr Tanja Gojny, Professor of Religious Education and Didactics of Protestant Religious Education at the University of Wuppertal, is co-author and co-editor of the award-winning volume. She has been a member of the textbook team for the "Ortswechsel" series and the follow-up series "OrtswechselPlus" since 2008. As part of the teacher training programme at the University of Wuppertal, she regularly offers events on religious didactic perspectives on Judaism and on a critical approach to educational media.
At the ceremony, Dr Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews, gave a welcoming address in which he emphasised the importance of education and educational media for the prevention of anti-Semitism. The authors present expressed their particular delight at being honoured. "A central concern of the entire book series is to present Jewish life and thought in Germany in its past and present in a differentiated and respectful way and to be enriched by the way people learn and think in Judaism," said Prof Tanja Gojny.
Other authors of the award-winning volume are Sebastian Görnitz-Rückert, Ingrid Grill-Ahollinger, Martin Kugler and Katharina Luchner.
About the price
The Henny Brenner Prize was awarded last Tuesday (16 December) in Berlin by Dr Felix Klein, the Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Anti-Semitism, and Simone Oldenburg, President of the Conference of Education Ministers. It commemorates Henny Brenner (1924-2020), a survivor of the Shoah who was committed to reconciliation and remembrance throughout her life. The prize honours educational media that show Jewish life as a natural part of German society without reproducing stereotypes and teach young people a critical attitude towards anti-Semitism.
Further information on the award ceremony can be found in this article on the website of the Commissioner for Anti-Semitism (press release dated 16 December 2025).
