Max Grünebaum Award Ceremony

In 1997, the year the foundation was established, the singer Gesine Forberger and the actor Oliver Bäßler were the first to be honoured with the Max Grünebaum Prize, which at that time was still awarded in Deutschmarks. A special prize was awarded to the ‘Theaterliga’ of Cottbus Land Grammar School.

6 November 2026 also marks the 175th anniversary of Max Grünebaum’s birth, giving us yet another reason to look back and pay tribute to this great humanist. We hereby cordially invite you to the ceremonial award presentation and the reception to follow at the Staatstheater Cottbus. Amongst others, the baritone Nils Stäfe, last year’s prize winner, will be performing at the ceremony.

In addition, pupils from the Theodor-Fontane-Schule will provide insights into the ‘Research-based Theatre’ project week, funded by the Max Grünebaum Foundation, which this year was held under the theme of ‘Energy’. A draw will be held on stage during the ceremony to determine which schools will take part in the project week in 2027 and 2028. 

About the Max Grünebaum Foundation

In memory of the cloth manufacturer and honorary citizen of Cottbus, Kommerzienrat Max Grünebaum (1851–1923), his grandsons established the Max Grünebaum Foundation. During his lifetime, the successful entrepreneur had demonstrated exemplary social commitment and patronage and was one of the Cottbus Theatre’s most steadfast supporters. In the 1930s, the Grünebaum family were driven from their homeland. They managed to flee to England and build a new life there. The family drew the necessary capital for the foundation, established in 1997, from the compensation paid following German reunification for their assets, which had been seized by Nazi Germany. Its aim is to support outstanding young artists and, since 1999, young academics at the Cottbus State Theatre and the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg. The Foundation’s work also aims to strengthen and shape relations between Cottbus and England.