The award was presented by Johannes Schmalzl, Chairman of the Management Board of the Würth Foundation, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Roth, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board, and JMD President Johannes Freyer. Freyer emphasized the importance of youth orchestras as a utopia of a successful society: "They are microcosms in which young people can test their impact in the community–and are also a role model for us adults."

The International Youth Symphony Orchestra Bremen under the direction of Martin Lentz is taking place for the 25th time this year. Every year, the Bremen Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Bremen Music School invites around 50 musicians aged between 14 and 22 from all over the world to Bremen for a ten-day rehearsal phase to work on a challenging symphonic program–in 2025, participants from Algeria, Egypt, Germany, Iraq, Jordan, Latvia, Tunisia, Turkey, Romania, Scotland, Switzerland, Spain, Syria and the United Arab Emirates are taking part. Through intensive rehearsals and a love of music, a temporary, international ensemble of around 90 young instrumentalists grows together, in which ideological differences, nationalities and religions are addressed, understood and respected.

At the award ceremony at the Carmen Würth Forum at the Würth Group headquarters in Künzelsau in Baden-Württemberg, the prize-winning ensemble performed Benjamin Britten's "The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra", the rarely heard "Rhapsodie pathétique" by Syrian composer Sharif Badreddin with Rimonda Naanaa as soloist on the quanoun and the rousing "Danzón No. 2" by Arturo Márquez.

The Würth Prize of Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland has been awarded annually since 1991 by the Würth Foundation and Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland to artists or ensembles who have rendered outstanding services to the promotion of young musical talent and a cosmopolitan cultural life. In previous years, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (2024), the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie (2023), the Notos Quartet (2022) and Jörg Widmann (2021) were among those honored.

The non-profit Würth Foundation was founded in 1987 by Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold and Carmen Würth in Künzelsau and promotes projects in the fields of education and science, integration and social affairs as well as art and culture. JMD is the German section of Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI). It was founded during the Second World War to promote encounters between young musicians.

Der Würth-Preis der Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland wird seit 1991 durch die Stiftung Würth und die Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland jährlich an Künstlerinnen und Künstler oder Ensembles verliehen, die sich auf besondere Weise um die musikalische Nachwuchsförderung und ein weltbürgerliches Kulturleben verdient machen. In den vergangenen Jahren waren unter anderen Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (2024), die Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie (2023), das Notos Quartett (2022) und Jörg Widmann (2021) gewürdigt worden. 

Die gemeinnützige Stiftung Würth wurde 1987 von Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold und Carmen Würth in Künzelsau gegründet und fördert Projekte in den Bereichen Bildung und Wissenschaft, Integration und Soziales sowie Kunst und Kultur. JMD ist die deutsche Sektion der Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI). Sie wurde während des Zweiten Weltkriegs gegründet, um Begegnungen junger Musikerinnen und Musiker zu fördern. 

She sees following traditional sculpting as a challenge, translating it into her very own figurative language. What Stella Hamberg has in common with Robert Jacobsen, after whom the Robert Jacobsen Prize was named, is an emphasis on the craftmanship involved in contemporary sculpting, as well as a focus on highly associative shapes. Last century, Robert Jacobsen himself said on the principle of sculpture that “one’s vision and one’s mind have to work simultaneously: Generally, you feel before you notice – you feel and see – but you have to fully comprehend the movement at the very same instant. For me, this is what sculpture is all about these days.”

“Stella Hamberg has stood for an uncompromising approach to sculpting since the 2000s. Her intensive, almost impressionist formal language, as displayed in her larger-than-life bronze figures, such as the ‘Berserker’ (Berserks), has had a significant impact on the medium of figurative sculpture,” the jury of the 16th Robert Jacobsen Prize said in their decision. They continue by saying: “Her works are without narrative clarity on purpose, leaving the viewer with a wide range of possible interpretations. Using the material of bronze, which has a rich tradition, her works vary between raw monumentality and the documentation of the most minute traces of the creative process, adding a vibrant, almost tangible quality to her sculptures. Hamberg combines archaic origins with the physical presence of the human and animal body and uses abstract means to open up new perspectives on both the human individual and the medium as such. In doing so, she continues the tradition of sculpting while renewing it using her powerful, contemporary signature design.”

The awarding of the prize, which includes prize money of EUR 50,000 and a presentation of the artist's work at one of the museums of the Würth Collection is scheduled for 2026.

The jury of the 16th Robert Jacobsen Prize of the Würth Foundation

• Dr. Christoph Becker, former Director of Kunsthaus Zurich
• Dr. Philipp Demandt, Director of Städel Museum and Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung, Frankfurt
• Prof. Dr. Michael Eissenhauer, former Director-General of Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
• Fabrice Hergott, Director of Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris
• Prof. Dr. Bernhard Maaz, former General Director of Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich
• Ugo Rondinone, New York, winner of the 15th Robert Jacobsen Prize
• C. Sylvia Weber, Executive Vice President of the Würth Group for Culture (jury chair)
• Maria Würth, Member of the Board of the Würth Foundation

About the Robert Jacobsen Prize

After the death of sculptor Robert Jacobsen in 1993, the Würth Foundation endowed the Robert Jacobsen Prize in cooperation with Museum Würth. Every other year, it is awarded to contemporary visual artists to commemorate Robert Jacobsen’s oeuvre and influence. After their first accidental encounter in the 1970s, the Danish sculptor and Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth, entrepreneur and art collector, became long-standing friends. In 1991, Jacobsen completed his largest sculpture installation on the forecourt of the Würth Group’s new administration building, which has characterized the look of the Group’s headquarters ever since. The Robert Jacobsen Prize includes prize money of EUR 50,000. Previous prize winners:

• 1993 Lun Tuchnowski 
• 1995 Richard Deacon 
• 1997 Magdalena Jetelovà 
• 1999 Gereon Lepper 
• 2001 Stephan Kern 
• 2003 Rui Chafes 
• 2005/2006 Bernar Venet 
• 2008 Monika Sosnowska 
• 2010 Alicja Kwade 
• 2012 Jeppe Hein 
• 2014/2015 Michael Sailstorfer 
• 2016/2017 Yngve Holen 
• 2018/2019 Eva Rothschild 
• 2021 Elmgreen & Dragset
• 2023/2024 Ugo Rondinone

About the Würth Foundation

Founded by Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth and Carmen Würth in Künzelsau, Germany, in 1987, the charitable Würth Foundation promotes projects in the fields of education and sciences, integration and social affairs as well as art and culture. It is supported by companies of the Würth Group in Germany, particularly Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG.

“At the end of the day, in motor sports, like in the trades, it’s about every detail: Speed, experience and perfectly tuned processes are the key to success,” says Fritz Hollweck, Head of Sports Sponsorship at Würth. “This ambition is precisely what we share with MotoGP™. Both brands stand for top-notch technical excellence, passion and teamwork.”

The commercial rights holder of MotoGP, Dorna Sports, underlines the strategic value of the cooperation: “Würth matches our ambition and values,” says Marc Saurina, Head of Global Commercial Partnerships. “In Würth, we win a global partner that supports our teams with first-class tools, as well as new impetus in some of our strongest markets.”

During the season, Würth will be prominently visible at the Grand Prix races in Italy, Spain and Indonesia, with strong branding along the race track, in hospitality areas and in digital spaces. In addition, Würth offers exclusive customer experiences. The selection of the Grand Prix locations also highlights the Group’s international growth strategy, connecting with MotoGP’s impressive presence in each market.

About MotoGP
Welcome to the most exciting sport on Earth. The fastest bikes. The most forward-thinking manufacturers. The world's most fearless riders. This is the hunt, and there can only be one winner. Come with us to the edge of possibility and the edge of your seat. MotoGP. Faster. Forward. Fearless.

About the Würth Group
The Würth Group is the global market leader in the development, production, and sale of assembly and fastening materials. Other trading and production companies, the Allied Companies, operate in related business areas, ranging from electrical wholesaling and electronics to financial services. At the end of 2024, the Group employed 88,400 employees in over 400 companies with more than 2,800 shops across 80 countries. The Group generated sales of EUR 20.2 billion and an operating result of EUR 940 million in the 2024 fiscal year. With over 8,000 employees, Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG in Künzelsau is the largest single company in the Würth Group.

Depictions of landscapes with a low horizon, clouds dramatically piling up as if they were mountains, the turbulent sea, and vivid flower paintings such as “Großer Mohn (rot, rot, rot)” (Large Poppy (red, red, red)) from 1942 are expression of the artist’s deep understanding of his homeland. Emil Nolde, born Emil Hansen in 1867 in the village of Nolde, whose name he later adopted, grew up as a farmer’s son in the German-Danish border region. His works, which often verge on the non-representational, touch on the timeless need for emotion and unaltered nature beyond the modern metropolis of his time. Thus, as the artist himself put it, “a vague idea only in glow and color” was enough to trigger the stream of imagination. With his self-image as a Nordic artist shaped by the landscape, people and legendary figures he grew up with, he soon showed an unadulterated, strong will to represent a distinct German artistic style in his works.

Firmly rooted in the north, he was drawn out into the world early on: He not only traveled through Europe. In 1913/14, a scientific expedition, which he accompanied as an unofficial participant, took him through Moscow, Siberia, Korea, Japan and China to the German colony of German New Guinea. These new impressions and the search for the original greatly influenced his artistic development, resulting in fascinating changes of perspective. From his travels, the artist brought back folkloristic objects and exotica, which over time grew into a wondrous collection of study objects and continued to resonate in his still lifes and figure paintings for a long time, as can be seen from the painting “Stilleben E (Hirschgruppe, Kissen, Tamburan)” (Still Life E (Group of Deer, Cushion, Tamburan)) from 1914. Nolde used them to create astonishingly cosmopolitan and yet unmistakable pictorial worlds, which, contrary to his disturbing political conviction, easily overcome artistic conventions and cultural boundaries.

In the exhibition catalog, entrepreneur and collector Reinhold Würth recalls a joint visit to a Ticino gallery with his friend, photographer Paul Swiridoff, in 1972: “There, I saw the watercolor painting by Emil Nolde, which caught my eye immediately. The strong, vibrant shades of red, orange and blue completely captivated me, as I remembered having seen exactly these bright colors during my visits to the far north of Germany and Denmark. My decision to buy the painting was quickly made.”

With the acquisition of “Wolkenspiegelung in der Marsch”, Reinhold Würth laid the foundation for an art collection that today comprises over 20,000 works.
 

Exhibition “An active life” in the Museum’s Atrium marking two anniversaries

On the occasion of Reinhold Würth’s 90th birthday and the Würth Group’s corporate anniversary, Museum Würth 2 will present the exhibition “An active life. 90 years Reinhold Würth. 80 years Würth Group.”, an inspiring journey through time from 7 April.

It highlights historical and current aspects and shows the close relationship between the entrepreneur and his company. After all, the impressive development from a two-man business to world market leader in assembly and fastening systems is Reinhold Würth’s life’s work. Various stations presenting videos, photographs and objects from eight decades show highlights and various facets of this journey. They provide interactive insights, for example into sales, product development or the different aspects of cultural and social commitment. A wide range of archive material appealing to all senses awaits the visitor.


Emil Nolde – World and Home
Würth Collection and loans from Nolde Stiftung Seebüll
Museum Würth 2
7 April 2025 – 28 September 2025
Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00
Free admission

An active life
90 years Reinhold Würth
80 years Würth Group
Atrium of Museum Würth 2, Künzelsau
7 April 2025 – February 2026
Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00
Free admission

Museum Würth 2
Am Forumsplatz 1
74653 Künzelsau
www.KunstKultur.wuerth.com 
App Würth Collection

Christo started altering objects in Paris in 1958. He wrapped cans and bottles, built first installations with barrels and transformed everyday objects into sculptures. The exhibition shows many of his top-notch early works that already impressively demonstrate Christo’s artistic idea: wrapping familiar things to allow for new perspectives on them and make room for new interpretations. Starting in the 1960s, the artist couple had become increasingly successful in doing that in both urban and rural areas. 

What unites many of their projects is fabric as a medium, whether it folds around buildings, rocks or trees as an outer shell, serves as a pink surrounding of entire islands off Miami or highlights floating platforms on Lake Iseo in bright yellow. Stacked oil barrels are another recurring theme in the work of the artist duo. An important aspect in Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s art is transcience. Their installations are limited in time and create unique images that are elusive in nature, changing what already exists, but is now perceived anew. On the other hand, the master drawings, collages and models Christo makes in preparation remain preserved. Their sale guaranteed the artist couple independence and freedom in their implementation by financing even the most complex projects themselves. The Würth Collection contains one of the largest collections of works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude worldwide, which comprises more than 130 original works, rounded off by more than 30 photographs by Harry Shunk and Wolfgang Volz. 

Entrepreneur and collector Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth maintained a friendship with the artist couple. He recalled: “Our first contact was in Hamburg in 1994, and we instantly connected. In the course of the many meetings with Christo and Jeanne-Claude, we first became acquaintances and then a close friendship developed; our encounters in Hong Kong, New York and many European cities were an enrichment for me and my understanding of art. For me, the highlight of the artistic creation of Christo and Jeanne-Claude was clearly the wonderful wrapping of the Reichstag building in Berlin. Few visual artists moved an entire population to the extent Christo and Jeanne-Claude succeeded in doing so in Berlin in 1995.” 

In her contribution to the exhibition catalog, published by Swiridoff Verlag, the then President of the German Parliament and politician Prof. Dr. Rita Süssmuth wrote: “For me, it was a political project that not only bore grandness, but also had its own, peaceful message to Berlin and the world. This was not aggressive Germany. It was a message of art and culture that shone into the world. And another aspect of this type of art is special: It seems transient, it does not belong to anybody. This type of art can only be experienced if you see it with your own eyes. Christo and Jeanne-Claude attached great importance to this “democratic” aspect of their art. In addition, they always recycled their materials used.” 

C. Sylvia Weber, Director of the Würth Collection and joint curator along with Kirsten Fiege, said about the exhibition: “Christo and Jeanne-Claude undoubtedly shifted the dimension of what had been conceivable as a work of art until then. Their boldness to wrap a building or monument, or surround an entire coast, did not change the world, but how we see it. To this day, we are still puzzled if familiar objects are wrapped or only altered by Christo, to escape our gaze. His early sculptures in the Würth Collection offer an opportunity to feel this. The second skin he put over the objects triggers our imagination. The large-scale projects designed with Jeanne-Claude, on the other hand, were always a celebration of the moment.” 

Wrapped, tied, stacked – 
Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Würth Collection 
Museum Würth 
11 November 2024 to 12 April 2026 
Open daily from 11:00 to 18:00 
Free admission 

Museum Würth 
Reinhold-Würth-Straße 15 
74653 Künzelsau 
www.kunst.wuerth.com 
Würth Collection app

He puts the weighty materials of his expansive sculptures, such as stone or bronze, in contrast with a naïve aesthetic of form and poetic subtlety. For example, the primordial installation made up of bronze fish floating freely in the room transforms the belvedere of Museum Würth 2 into a kind of aquarium of origins, in which visitors can literally immerse themselves. The circular arrangement of his sculpture group sunrise. east symbolizes the course of the year with the help of twelve sometimes grotesque aluminum heads alluding to the months. The wide range of ambivalent human emotions is reflected in their faces in such a striking way that sometimes remind you of the pictorial idiom used in comics or the currently ubiquitous emojis. The great importance of idiom in Rondinone’s oeuvre is also evident in autumn moon: The title promises an autumn moon; what we see, however, is a cast of a 2,000-year-old olive tree that Rondinone presents as a “time capsule”. The moon itself is only implied indirectly in the shine of the enameled surface. The colossal stone figure the loyal, eight meters high and weighing in at around 40 tons, also impresses not only with its sheer size. It is the most recent work featured in the exhibition and made of stone, the most original material for Rondinone. This brings the works presented in Künzelsau full circle when it comes to the materials used.

The exhibition “Ugo Rondinone – solar spirit. 15th Robert Jacobsen Prize by the Würth Foundation“ at Museum Würth 2, Künzelsau, can be visited daily from 10:00 to 18:00 until 23 March 2025. Admission is free.

About the Robert Jacobsen Prize

After the death of sculptor Robert Jacobsen in 1993, the Würth Foundation endowed the Robert Jacobsen Prize in cooperation with Museum Würth. Every other year, it is awarded to contemporary visual artists to commemorate Robert Jacobsen’s oeuvre and influence. After their first accidental encounter in the 1970s, the Danish sculptor and Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth, entrepreneur and art collector, became long-standing friends. In 1991, Jacobsen completed his largest sculpture installation on the forecourt of the Würth Group’s new administration building, which has characterized the look of the Group’s headquarters ever since. The Robert Jacobsen Prize is endowed with EUR 50,000.

In 2021, the artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset was awarded the prize, in 2018/19 Eva Rothschild, in 2016/17 Yngve Holen, in 2014/15 Michael Sailstorfer, in 2012 Jeppe Hein, in 2010 Alicja Kwade, in 2008 Monika Sosnowska, in 2005/6 Bernar Venet, in 2003 Rui Chafes, in 2001 Stephan Kern, in 1999 Gereon Lepper, in 1997 Magdalena Jetelová, in 1995 Richard Deacon and in 1993 Lun Tuchnowski.

The international jury of the 15th Robert Jacobsen Prize is made up of Dr. Christoph Becker, former Director of Kunsthaus Zürich; Dr. Philipp Demandt, Director of the Städel Museum and Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung; Prof. Dr. Michael Eissenhauer, former Director General of Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; Fabrice Hergott, Director of Musée d'Art moderne de Paris; Prof. Dr. Bernhard Maaz, Director General of Bavarian State Painting Collections, Munich, together with the previous prize winners artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset as well as C. Sylvia Weber, Director of the Würth Collection, and Maria Würth, Member of the Board of the Würth Foundation.

On the occasion of the award, Swiridoff-Verlag will publish a book on Ugo Rondinone with contributions by Philipp Demandt and Maja Lisewski, at a price of EUR 16.

About the Würth Foundation

Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold and Carmen Würth founded the Würth Foundation in 1987. As a civil law foundation based in Künzelsau, Germany, it promotes charitable and benevolent causes. The Würth Foundation supports a wide range of projects in the fields of education and science, integration and social affairs as well as art and culture. Its activities focus on the Heilbronn-Franconia region and are supported by the German Würth Group companies, in particular Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG.

Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth, one of the world’s most ambitious art collectors and supporters, and the Würth Group have been supporting Salzburg Festival since 2016, the Ouverture Spirituelle concert series since 2018 and the jung&jede*r children’s and youth program since 2022.

“We are very grateful and sincerely touched that Prof. Reinhold Würth and the Würth Group have more than doubled their already generous sponsorship. Our profound conversations have shown that we are just as united by our idea of quality as we are by our belief in the power of art. I see this extended sponsorship as a confirmation of our work so far and as a mandate to remain unwaveringly true to the intentions of our founding fathers even in difficult times,” said Festival President Dr. Kristina Hammer and thanked Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth and the Würth Group on behalf of Salzburg Festival's Board of Directors.

Art and culture are an integral element of the Würth Group’s corporate culture. The commitment to a vibrant cultural landscape reflects central aspects of the Würth Group, such as openness, internationality, and quality.

“I have a great passion for art, literature, architecture, and music. For me personally, the latter is indeed the highest of the arts and a special treat. Going home with a melody on my mind after a wonderful concert—that is what I call a splendid day,” said Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth.

The commitment of Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth and the Würth Group, especially in the field of the fine arts, has been shaping the cityscape of Salzburg for more than 30 years. The most prominent example of this commitment is the Walk of Modern Art, an art project spanning ten years that has resulted in a globally unique art trail in the heart of the World Heritage city. A total of 14 sculptures by internationally renowned artists connect the most beautiful places in Salzburg. Since 2013, the works displayed along the Walk of Modern Art have been on permanent loan from the Würth Collection to the city of Salzburg. Apart from his responsibility for the staff and the company, his responsibility to society plays a central role for Reinhold Würth.

Short biography of Reinhold Würth

At the age of 19, Reinhold Würth took over the management of the family business in 1954 following his father’s early death. Back then, the company had two employees. Today, the Group employs more than 87,000 people. Acting with a far-sighted strategy and vision and supported by his mother Alma Würth, Reinhold Würth successfully continued the business and added one success to the next. Starting in 1962, local companies were gradually established on all continents. In recognition of his outstanding social and cultural commitment as well as his entrepreneurial achievements, Reinhold Würth was awarded the German Founder’s Prize for his life’s work, the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the French medal “Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” acknowledging his extraordinary merits in the cultural cooperation between Germany and France. Lending a hand and finding new ideas and solutions that help customers in their day-to-day business are guiding principles at Würth. “Looking beyond the mountain and around the next corner” and leaving the well-trodden paths has always been one of Reinhold Würth’s basic rules for the company. His motto: “We are our customers’ employees.”

“Millions of children around the world cannot go to school. With this donation for safe learning spaces in Sudan, we want to restore access to education for children in the midst of the deep education crisis so that they can not only go to school, but also be kids despite the difficult situation,” says Bettina Würth, Chairwoman of the Advisory Board of the Würth Group and member of the UNICEF Committee for Germany, on the company’s commitment.

Sudan: safe learning spaces for children
The donation will be used for the UNICEF aid program aiming to provide safe learning spaces for children in the midst of the brutal conflict in Sudan. Even before the outbreak of the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan, around 8.5 million children needed humanitarian aid. Today, the country faces one of the largest displacement and education crises in the world. Around 14 million children need humanitarian aid and 19 million children are no longer able to attend school due to the closure of 18,000 schools in conflict areas. In addition to a lack of education, children are at risk of being recruited by armed groups and subjected to sexual violence.

The donation will serve to set up safe learning spaces providing children and adolescents with access to protection, social contacts and education. UNICEF equips the learning spaces with learning materials and toys and sees to the psychological and psychosocial support of children. If the safety situation does not permit for children to attend school in person, they can learn at home using an e-learning program on solar-powered tablets. The UNICEF facilities also support family members by providing them with access to water and healthcare.

Georg Graf Waldersee, Chairman of the UNICEF Committee for Germany, says: “For the seventh consecutive year, numerous dedicated employees of the Würth Group have shown exceptional commitment during its campaign week, making a significant contribution to UNICEF’s work for children in need. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Würth Group for supporting UNICEF’s work once again. The current humanitarian situation in Sudan is dramatic; the armed conflict has caused great hardship for millions of children and families. In a situation like this, providing children with protected, safe spaces and enabling them to continue learning, playing and exchanging ideas with others is of vital importance, helping them to better process what they have experienced and to regain courage.”

About the RW WORKOUT Week
For more than 34 years, RW WORKOUT Week has been an integral part of the cooperation between the inside staff and the sales force of Würth Group companies. During this ride-along campaign, inside employees accompany sales representatives on their daily customer visits. This does not only boost their cooperation, but also gives both the sales force and the customers the opportunity to suggest improvements and ideas to inside staff in personal conversations. More than 10,300 ride-alongs were performed worldwide within the framework of the 2024 RW WORKOUT Week.

About the Würth Group
The Würth Group is the global market leader in the development, production and sale of assembly and fastening materials. Other trading and production companies, known as the Allied Companies, operate in related business areas, ranging from electrical wholesale and electronics to financial services. The Group currently employs more than 87,000 employees in over 400 companies with more than 2,700 shops across 80 countries. The Group achieved sales of EUR 20.4 billion in the 2023 fiscal year. With over 7,900 employees, Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG in Künzelsau is the largest single company in the Würth Group.

Literary critic and journalist Prof. Lothar Müller, member of the jury, honored Tóibín in his laudatory speech as “cosmopolitan with deep roots to his home”, a “public intellectual”, a great narrator, essayist; and university teacher. “The jury gave Colm Tóibín the award not only for his artful representation of people in his novels and essays, but also expressly for his lucid interpretations and lectures.”

“The European focus of the prize is gaining in importance in these times,” said Maria Würth. The winner treated “in his books the strong bond with one’s home, regardless of history, religion and nationalism.”

In her welcome address, Petra Olschowski, Minister of Science, Research and Arts of Baden-Württemberg, underlined that the Würth Prize for European Literature gives credit to the importance and many voices of the literary work shaped by and radiating beyond Europe. “Including all the knowledge about what unites and separates us in Europe, in this incredibly fascinating world of European art and culture, of which the work of Colm Tóibín has also become a fundamental part.”

Colm Tóibín, born in Enniscorthy in Wexford County in 1955, reached international acclaim for “The Master”, his novel about Henry James, which was published in 2004. He has established himself as one of the most important Irish contemporary writers with novels such as the immigrant saga “Brooklyn” (2009), the film adaptation of which had three Oscar nominations, “Nora Webster” (2014) and “The Magician”, a novel about Thomas Mann. As a screenwriter, he collaborated with Volker Schlöndorff on the script for the film “Return to Montauk” (2017). His work, which began in 1994, has been awarded numerous prizes, including three nominations for the Man Booker Prize. His most recent publication “Long Island”, a sequel to “Brooklyn”, was released in May 2024.

About the Würth Prize for European Literature

The Würth Prize for European Literature recognizes literary commitment to Europe’s cultural diversity. The Würth Foundation awards the prize, which comes with a prize money of EUR 25,000, every two years. The jury, chaired by C. Sylvia Weber, Executive Vice President for Arts and Culture of the Würth Group and member of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Foundation, consists of Prof. Lothar Müller, Prof. Ulrich Raulff, Denis Scheck, Marie Schmidt, Prof. Jürgen Wertheimer; and Annie Ernaux, 2022 winner of the Würth Prize for European Literature.

The winners of the prize since 1998:

• 2024 Colm Tóibín
• 2022 Annie Ernaux
• 2020 David Grossman
• 2018 Christoph Ransmayr
• 2016 Peter Handke
• 2014 Péter Nádas
• 2012 Hanna Krall
• 2010 Ilija Trojanow
• 2008 Peter Turrini
• 2006 Herta Müller
• 2004 Harald Hartung
• 2002 Claude Vigée
• 2000 Claudio Magris
• 1998 Hermann Lenz 

“Tóibín transfers the 19th century art of introspection, which was brought to mastery by Jane Austen, George Eliot and Henry James, to the 21st century, broaching the modernization of technology and civilization as well as the disruptions in gender relations,” the jury of the Würth Prize for European Literature highlighted in their statement. “Especially his heroines excel by their charisma: Irish emigrant Eilis Lacey from Enniscorthy in ‘Brooklyn’, the widow experiencing the return of a dead man beyond all chilling romanticism in ‘Nora Webster’, Clytemnestra, who confidently stands by her deed in the retelling of the Oresteia ‘House of Names’ (2017), and last but not least Mary, who is given a so far unheard voice to protest against her canonization as the Mother of God in ‘The Testament of Mary’ (2012).” 

About the Würth Prize for European Literature 

The Würth Prize for European Literature, endowed with EUR 25,000, is awarded every two years. The jury, chaired by C. Sylvia Weber, Executive Vice President of the Würth Group for Arts and Culture and Member of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Foundation, is composed of: Prof. Dr. Lothar Müller, Prof. Dr. h. c. Ulrich Raulff, Denis Scheck, Marie Schmidt, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Wertheimer and the 2022 winner of the Würth Prize for European Literature, Annie Ernaux. 

Previous winners: 
• 2022 Annie Ernaux 
• 2020 David Grossman 
• 2018 Christoph Ransmayr 
• 2016 Peter Handke 
• 2014 Péter Nádas 
• 2012 Hanna Krall 
• 2010 Ilija Trojanow 
• 2008 Peter Turrini 
• 2006 Herta Müller 
• 2004 Harald Hartung 
• 2002 Claude Vigée 
• 2000 Claudio Magris 
• 1998 Hermann Lenz

The funding provided by the Würth Group and the non-profit Würth Foundation aims to support research into pancreatic cancer. This type of cancer is still one of the deadliest and at the same time one of the least researched forms of cancer.

Research is led by Prof. Dr. Markus W. Büchler, a world-renowned physician in the field of pancreatic cancer research and surgery. Junior and senior physicians and scientists work together at the research center to accelerate critical breakthroughs in research and to enable physicians around the world to defeat this dangerous disease.

“We are very grateful for the support of the Würth Group and the non-profit Würth Foundation, as it facilitates many years of cancer research. This grant will help us make new progress and provide better care to patients with pancreatic cancer around the world,” said Prof. Dr. Markus W. Büchler.

About the Champalimaud Foundation
The Champalimaud Foundation was created in 2004 by the last will of the Portuguese entrepreneur António Champalimaud. The Champalimaud Foundation essentially develops research in neurosciences, cancer and vision. Their mission is to actively develop advanced research and technological innovation programs, alongside the interdisciplinary delivery of clinical care in the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The clinical activity is patient-centered, through the personalization of care and promotion of quality of life.

About the Würth Foundation
Back in 1987, Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold and Carmen Würth established the Würth Foundation. As a civil law foundation based in Künzelsau, Germany, it promotes charitable and benevolent purposes. The Würth Foundation promotes a wide range of projects in the fields of art and culture, education and training, research and science, and integration. Its activities focus on the Heilbronn-Franconia region. The activities are supported by the German Würth Group companies, in particular Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG.

In impressive snapshots, the Master draws viewers close to the action, turns them into witnesses of the crucifixion of Christ. The centerpiece is a dominating cross, on which hangs the fragile-looking crucified Christ. His thin legs are bent, his emaciated upper body is already tilted to the side, on his head hanging forward he wears the crown of thorns. Six apostles flank him on each side. In addition, Mary Magdalene, desperately clutching the base of the cross, the two condemned thieves at the cross, the mourning women, together with mother of Jesus sinking down in pain, the group around the converted centurion with his impressively designed shield and other male figures are gathered on Calvary.

All figures were carved in the round and formerly partially polychrome. Typically, they follow the formal aesthetic ideals of the so-called Beautiful Style (approx. 1380-1430), which is also known as the International Gothic Style because it was found throughout Europe.  However, in the unsparing rendering of the dislocated limbs of the thieves or the finesse of the faces down to the wrinkles and folds of the eyelids, Realism is already breaking through, which was to become decisive for art throughout Europe in the following decades.

Johanniterkirche in Schwäbisch Hall: The Rimini Altar at Johanniterkirche. From 1 November 2023 to 7 April 2024. 11 am to 5 pm daily. Admission free of charge. www.kunst.wuerth.com

 The success story of entrepreneur Reinhold Würth

In 1949, Reinhold Würth began a commercial apprenticeship in his father’s screw wholesale business at the request of his father. In 1954, after his father’s sudden death, he took over at the helm of the company with two employees at the age of 19. The company began to expand into international territory in 1962 as the first foreign subsidiary was established in the Netherlands. Today, the Würth Group is the global market leader in the development, production, and sale of assembly and fastening materials. The Würth Group operates worldwide and currently consists of more than 400 companies with more than 2,500 pick-up shops in 80 countries.

The entrepreneur assumes responsibility

Great social commitment is inextricably linked to the entrepreneur Reinhold Würth and his family. According to the statement of Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation, Reinhold Würth has made outstanding contributions especially in the field of the Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation’s purpose of training, education, research and science. Particular highlights of Reinhold Würth’s contributions are Freie Schule Anne-Sophie in Künzelsau and Berlin with more than 1,000 students, the Competence Center for Economic Education in Baden-Württemberg, promoting economic knowledge at schools, the Markus Würth Endowed Professorship for Pediatric Neuro-Orthopedics and Cerebral Palsy at the Technical University of Munich as well as the Tübinger Poetik-Dozentur within the German Seminar of the University of Tübingen. These projects are supported by the charitable Würth Foundation established by Reinhold and his wife Carmen Würth in 1987.

Furthermore, the Würth Foundation and the Würth Group are also committed to the common good in the fields of culture, education, research, social affairs and sports. Five corporate museums and ten art galleries of the Würth Group in Europe showcase the works owned by the Würth Collection, meanwhile comprising around 20,000 exhibits. All of the company’s museums are open to the public free of charge. The establishment of Würth Philharmoniker as the musical ensemble of Reinhold Würth Musikstiftung gGmbH was the result of the Group’s involvement in classical music. In addition, the Würth Group and Würth Foundation are committed to helping people with disabilities. The Würth Group’s main sports sponsorship focus is on soccer and winter sports.

Award of the Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation

The Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation was established in 2001 by Willy Robert Pitzer, a Hessian architect and entrepreneur in the health care sector. Its purpose is to promote the fields of science and research, education and training as well as sports and the welfare for young and elderly people. In the field of medical research, the main focus is on the promotion in the German federal state of Hesse. Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation is one of the largest foundations in Hesse.

Every year taking turns, the Willy Robert Pitzer Foundation presents the Erika Pitzer and the Willy Pitzer Award. Former award winners include physician and cabaret artist Dr. Eckhard von Hirschhausen and the Frankfurt-based virologist Prof. Dr. Sandra Ciesek. 

In addition, the welcome area with museum store will be newly built and the café will be modernized and expanded to accommodate the high number of visitors of up to 250,000 people per year.

Along with office and depot space, the extension will also include a modern workshop room for creative-practical offerings that complement the classic educational program. To this aim, the boundaries of the premises around Kunsthalle Würth were realigned as early as 2013.

The complex construction project, not least because of the tightly built-up inner city location, including some renovation work in the existing building, is expected to be completed by 2026 following intensive planning.

Exciting showcase exhibitions during the renovation period

After “Rose Red, Grass Green, Quince Yellow. Botanic Mysteries in the Würth Collection“, showcase exhibitions based on works from the Würth Collection will be presented as usual free of charge at Adolf Würth Hall and in the former reception area from 17 November 2023. Owing to necessary technical modifications, two shorter closing times of the exhibition areas of Kunsthalle Würth are planned for a few months in the spring of 2024. Visitors are still welcome to discover the smaller showcase exhibitions and spend time in the Würth art shop and the cafeteria, both of which will remain open.

 More than five million visitors since 2001

Kunsthalle Würth, ingeniously integrated into the old town of Katharinenvorstadt in Schwäbisch Hall by Danish architect Henning Larsen, was opened to a large audience in May 2001 in the presence of many prominent guests from politics, society and culture.  Since then, 49 exhibitions from the Würth Collection have been on display in the timeless construction. More than five million visitors walked through its doors. Built within three years, Kunsthalle Würth quickly became one of the most successful private museums in Germany and a cultural attraction in the city of Schwäbisch Hall. Already after the first structural extension through the acquisition of the Sudhaus restaurant and conference venue, Kunsthalle Würth unfolded even more potential for the continuously growing Würth Collection with its new premises in the basement from 2004. It is sponsored by Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG. In 2001, the Würth Collection comprised around 6,000 works of art, meanwhile, the collection has grown to roughly 20,000 works of art.

The new high-performance CT scanner with integrated spectral technology is currently only available at six locations in Germany (in Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart and Heidelberg), and is therefore a distinctive feature in the Schwäbisch Hall-Hohenlohe region.

The director of the Diak hospital, Christoph Rieß, is convinced that “thanks to the generous donation by Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth, an important project can be implemented that will significantly advance medical care! The entire population in the region will benefit from it, because this new technology offers a wealth of possibilities in preventive care as well as in acute emergencies or life-threatening illnesses. Also on behalf of all patients and employees, we would like to thank Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG.”

The CT scanner, which is expected to be in use at the Diak hospital already in the second half of 2023, was designed for very demanding clinical applications where time and precision are particularly important. This is especially beneficial for patients who need urgent help, for example in the event of a heart attack, a complicated fracture or severe oncological diseases.

The CT scanner significantly reduces radiation loads for both patients and employees, shortens the time of the examination and reduces the number of follow-up examinations. Thanks to spectral imaging, which provides information on metabolism and blood flow, diseases can be detected at an early stage.

 The Diakoneo Diak hospital
The Diakoneo Diak hospital in Schwäbisch Hall stands for healthcare with the aim of treating patients individually and holistically. More than 1,600 employees work together in Schwäbisch Hall to provide outstanding healthcare. The Diak hospital is a central care facility for the Hohenlohe region and an academic teaching hospital of the University of Heidelberg with a total of 23 specialist clinics and institutes.

As part of Diakoneo, a future-oriented diaconal social and healthcare company with more than 11,000 employees, the hospital is committed to a peaceful and inclusive future in which humanity and respect characterize society.

About the Würth Group
The Würth Group is the global market leader in the development, production, and sale of fastening and assembly materials. Other trading and production companies, known as the Allied Companies, operate in related business areas, ranging from electrical wholesale and electronics to financial services. The Group employs more than 85,000 employees in over 400 companies with more than 2,500 pick-up shops across 80 countries. The Group achieved sales of EUR 19.9 billion in the 2022 fiscal year. With over 7,600 employees, Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG in Künzelsau is the largest single company in the Würth Group.

For the sixth time, Würth presented a donation cheque to UNICEF. On the occasion of the RW WORKOUT Week, which is held worldwide and sees office and sales staff working together, EUR 400,000 were raised by the company.

“Children should be able to fully develop their skills. Therefore, they need unrestricted access to education. With the donation for schools in Sri Lanka, we want to make a contribution to enabling children to attend school on a regular basis and to providing school materials and meals for them," Bettina Würth, Chairwoman of the Advisory Board of the Würth Group and member of the UNICEF Committee for Germany, said about the company's commitment.

Sri Lanka: Education and psychosocial support

The donation will benefit the UNICEF program “Children at the heart of crisis: education and psychosocial support in Sri Lanka”. In addition to the economic and energy crisis, the country suffers from frequent natural disasters, which threaten the families' ability to afford basic needs, especially those of their children. In addition, the majority of schools remained closed in 2022. The lack of access to school education and the economic crisis also threaten children’s mental health.

Thanks to the donation, children receive learning materials such as pencils, notebooks and worksheets. Moreover, schools, especially in poor areas, are supported in providing regular meals. In close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the program also focuses on high-quality education through training and qualification measures for teachers. The donation also benefits the children’s mental health and psychosocial support. The measures are designed to help children regain their courage and look ahead in times of crisis.

Chairman of the UNICEF Committee for Germany Georg Graf Waldersee said:  “We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Würth Group for their generous support. For the sixth consecutive year, numerous dedicated employees showed exceptional commitment during the campaign week, making a significant contribution to opening up opportunities for children through education. In a crisis-ridden country like Sri Lanka, ensuring that children and young people have reliable access to high-quality education is of tremendous importance in paving the way out of poverty and strengthening their mental well-being. Thanks to Würth’s outstanding initiative, UNICEF is able to expand its local education programs and help the children develop the skills they need for their future life.”

About the RW WORKOUT Week

For more than 30 years, RW WORKOUT Week has been an integral part of the cooperation between the inside staff and the field sales force of Würth Group companies. During this ride-along campaign, inside employees accompany sales representatives on their daily customer visits. This does not only boost their cooperation, but also gives both the sales force and the customers the opportunity to suggest improvements and ideas to inside staff in personal conversations. More than 8,300 ride-alongs were performed worldwide within the framework of the RW WORKOUT Week.

About the Würth Group

The Würth Group is the global market leader in the development, production and sale of assembly and fastening materials. Other trading and production companies, known as the Allied Companies, operate in related business areas, ranging from electrical wholesale and electronics to financial services. The Group employs more than 85,000 employees in over 400 companies with more than 2,500 pick-up shops across 80 countries. The Group achieved sales of EUR 19.9 billion in the 2022 fiscal year. With over 7,600 employees, Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG in Künzelsau is the largest single company in the Würth Group.

The Würth volunteers help at the soccer, futsal and beach volleyball competitions and come into direct contact with the athletes with intellectual and multiple disabilities. For the first time, Würth volunteers from all over Europe will attend the event. In addition to employees from Germany, Group representatives from Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Norway, France, and Spain will participate as volunteers in Berlin.

Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, the parent company of the Würth Group, has been a premium partner of Special Olympics Deutschland for 15 years. During this time, more than 1,100 employees of the Würth Group were involved in events as volunteers. This commitment was initiated by Carmen Würth, who was Vice President of Special Olympics Deutschland for six years until November 2011.

About Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023

At the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023, which will take place from June 17 to 25, 7,000 athletes from 190 nations will compete in 26 sports. Germany as host country will participate with the largest delegation (415 athletes). The opening ceremony will take place at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on 17 June. The world games of people with intellectual and multiple disabilities are the largest sports event in Germany since the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

About the Würth Group

The Würth Group is the global market leader in the development, production and sale of assembly and fastening materials. Other trading and production companies, known as the Allied Companies, operate in related business areas, ranging from electrical wholesale and electronics to financial services. The Group employs more than 85,000 employees in over 400 companies with more than 2,500 pick-up shops across 80 countries. The Group achieved sales of EUR 19.9 billion in the 2022 fiscal year. With 7,600 employees, Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG in Künzelsau is the largest single company in the Würth Group.

The awarding of the prize together with a presentation of the artist's work at one of the museums of the Würth Collection is scheduled for the spring of 2024.

The jury of the 15th Robert Jacobsen Prize of the Würth Foundation

• Dr. Christoph Becker, former Director of Kunsthaus Zurich 
• Dr. Philipp Demandt, Director of Städel Museum and Liebieghaus, Frankfurt 
• Prof. Dr. Michael Eissenhauer, former Director-General of Staatliche Museen zu Berlin 
• Fabrice Hergott, Director of Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris 
• Prof. Dr. Bernhard Maaz, General Director of Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich 
• Elmgreen & Dragset, Scandinavian artist duo, Berlin, winners of the 14th Robert Jacobsen Prize 
• C. Sylvia Weber, Director of Würth Collection (chair)
• Maria Würth, Member of the Board of the Würth Foundation

About the Robert Jacobsen Prize

After the death of sculptor Robert Jacobsen in 1993, the Würth Foundation endowed the Robert Jacobsen Prize in cooperation with Museum Würth. Every other year, it is awarded to contemporary visual artists to commemorate Robert Jacobsen’s oeuvre and influence. After their first accidental encounter in the 1970s, the Danish sculptor and Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth, entrepreneur and art collector, became long-standing friends. In 1991, Jacobsen had completed his largest sculpture installation on the forecourt of the Würth Group's new administration building, which has shaped the appearance of the Group's headquarters ever since. The Robert Jacobsen Prize is endowed with EUR 50,000. Previous prize winners:

• 1993 Lun Tuchnowski 
• 1995 Richard Deacon 
• 1997 Magdalena Jetelovà 
• 1999 Gereon Lepper 
• 2001 Stephan Kern 
• 2003 Rui Chafes 
• 2005/2006 Bernar Venet 
• 2008 Monika Sosnowska 
• 2010 Alicja Kwade 
• 2012 Jeppe Hein 
• 2014/2015 Michael Sailstorfer 
• 2016/2017 Yngve Holen 
• 2018/2019 Eva Rothschild 
• 2021 Elmgreen & Dragset

About the Würth Foundation

Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold and Carmen Würth founded the Würth Foundation in 1987. It is a civil law foundation based in Künzelsau, Germany, and promotes charitable and benevolent causes.

The Würth Foundation promotes projects in the fields of art and culture, research and science as well as education and training—mainly in the Hohenlohe region, where the Würth Group’s headquarters are located. The foundation also supports social integration projects. The projects of the Würth Foundation are promoted by the German Würth Group companies, in particular Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG.

Download Press image Ugo Rondinone, Photo: Maru Teppei

The Würth Group has eight companies and more than 900 employees in Turkey. 
 

About the Würth Group

The Würth Group is the global market leader in the development, production, and sale of fastening and assembly materials. Other trading and production companies, known as the Allied Companies, operate in related business areas, ranging from electrical wholesale and electronics to financial services. The Group employs more than 85,000 employees in over 400 companies with more than 2,500 pick-up shops across 80 countries. According to preliminary annual financial statements, the Group generated sales of EUR 19.95 billion in the 2022 fiscal year. With 7,600 employees, Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG in Künzelsau is the largest single company in the Würth Group.

Würth was previously a Main Sponsor at the Nordic World Ski Championships 2021 in Oberstdorf, Germany but this marks the first time the brand will feature at the Alpine World Ski Championships.

Michael Witta, Vice President Marketing Sales at Infront said: “I’m delighted to not only see Würth return as a Main Sponsor for the Nordic World Ski Championship but look to utilise the reach and exposure of the Alpine World Ski Championship. These events are going to receive wide coverage across a broad audience, geographically and in terms of the demographics. Würth’s decision to leverage both will give its brand a huge presence on an almost daily basis during the most significant month for skiing fans.”

Fritz Hollweck, Head of Sports sponsorships at Würth said: “We are happy to be main partner of the Alpine and Nordic World Ski Championships 2023. Würth has a long history in wintersports and now we can enlarge our sponsorships. The Nordic World Ski Championships 2021 in Oberstdorf were a very good start for us with event sponsorships. We also want to support again with our tools and materials as well as the intelligent services in the venues. As our international campaign says: "Ready for Work". With these two events we also will have a huge brand exposure in many markets, where Würth is active.”

About the Würth Group
The Würth Group is the global market leader in the development, production, and sale of fastening and assembly materials. Other trading and production companies, known as the Allied Companies, operate in related business areas, ranging from electrical wholesale and electronics to financial services. The Group employs more than 84,000 employees in over 400 companies with more than 2,500 pick-up shops across 80 countries. The Group achieved sales of EUR 17.1 billion in fiscal year 2021. 

About Infront
Connecting fans and consumers to the greatest sports events, Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company, offers everything an event or commercial partner needs to be successful. With a team of around 1,000 experts working from 44 offices across 16 countries around the world, Infront is equipped to tackle any challenge—be it innovative digital solutions, world-class event operations, international media rights distribution, sponsorship sales and activations or cutting-edge media production. Headquartered in Switzerland, Infront is passionate and #AllAboutSports. @infrontsports www.infront.sport

 Most recently, her hauntingly emphatic novel “The Happening” (“L'Evénement”) was also published in German (in 2021) and English (in 2019), describing how the student Annie Ernaux becomes pregnant in 1963 and, at a time and in a country where abortion is prohibited, attempts not to have the child growing inside of her. “The experience of disempowerment, helplessness and fear that Ernaux’s text reflects is timeless,” the jury of the 13th Würth Prize for European Literature wrote in its statement. Audrey Diwan's movie adaptation of the novel "L'Evènement" won the Golden Lion at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.

 About the Würth Prize for European Literature

The Würth Prize for European Literature, endowed with EUR 25,000, is awarded every two years. The jury, chaired by C. Sylvia Weber, Executive Vice President of the Würth Group for Arts and Culture and Member of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Foundation, is composed of: Prof. Dr. Lothar Müller, Prof. Dr. H.c. Ulrich Raulff, Denis Scheck, Marie Schmidt, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Wertheimer and the 2020 winner of the Würth Prize for European Literature, David Grossman.

The winners so far:

• 2020 David Grossman
• 2018 Christoph Ransmayr
• 2016 Peter Handke
• 2014 Péter Nádas
• 2012 Hanna Krall
• 2010 Ilija Troyanov
• 2008 Peter Turrini
• 2006 Herta Müller
• 2004 Harald Hartung
• 2002 Claude Vigée
• 2000 Claudio Magris
• 1998 Hermann Lenzermann Lenz

“Distributing 25,000 pieces of equipment to all athletes of the seven DSV national teams while producing photos and videos for sponsors and equipment manufacturers requires complex logistics and perfect organization. We are grateful to our premium partner Würth for making all this possible at Adolf Würth Airport in 2021. Now, our teams can start into the Olympic winter with the best possible equipment. We are especially excited about the evening event at Carmen Würth Forum, where we will honor the most successful active athletes of the last winter season together with the entire ski family,” explained Walter Vogel, DSV Marketing Director.

On 13 and 14 October, the DSV athletes as well as their coaches, assistants and technicians receive their equipment for the upcoming winter season at Adolf Würth Airport in Schwäbisch Hall.

“That’s what’s great about winter: When it gets colder outside, the DSV athletes can finally compete again. I am really looking forward to the upcoming season, especially because the ambition, passion and motivation of the athletes is contagious every year. These characteristics are an integral part of our corporate culture and one of the main reasons for our success. So, you could say the DSV athletes are great role models for us,” Norbert Heckmann, Chairman of the Management of Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, explained.

DSV athlete of the year 2020: Karl Geiger wins “skier of the year” vote

For the seventh time, all active athletes of the German Ski Association across all disciplines have chosen the DSV athlete of the year. All DSV athletes across all disciplines, teams and training groups were asked to cast their votes. They could choose from the group of active athletes that had been awarded the Golden Ski by the DSV for their outstanding achievements in the past season. Most DSV athletes voted for ski jumper Karl Geiger (SC Oberstdorf).

2021 Golden Ski: The highest honor for active DSV athletes

Since its establishment, the German Ski Association (DSV) has honored outstanding achievements of athletes in the past season. The “Golden Ski” is the highest honor that DSV bestows on active athletes.

The prize winners in 2021 are:

• Alpine skiing: Kira Weidle (SC Starnberg) / Andreas Sander (SG Ennepetal)
• Biathlon: Franziska Preuß (SC Haag) / Arnd Peiffer (WSV Clausthal-Zellerfeld)
• Cross-country skiing: Katharina Hennig (WSC Erzgebirge Oberwiesenthal) / Lucas Bögl (SC Gaißach)
• Nordic combined: Vinzenz Geiger (SC Oberstdorf)
• Ski jumping: Katharina Althaus (SC Oberstdorf) / Karl Geiger (SC Oberstdorf)
• Ski cross: Florian Wilmsmann (TSV Hartpenning)

Würth is where people are inspired by passion

Thanks to the partnership with DSV, Würth is continuing its longstanding commitment to top-class sports. The company has been actively supporting motor sports for 35 years, and for more than 20 years, Würth has been present at German Bundesliga and international soccer matches. Würth also actively engages in disabled sports. Through its longstanding support of the Special Olympics initiative, Würth commits to social values such as community spirit and inclusion. All sponsoring activities of Würth can be reduced to a common denominator: Würth is where people are inspired by passion.

About Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG

Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG is the leading manufacturer of fastening technology for professional use. It is the largest individual company of the globally operating Würth Group.

Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG employs more than 7,900 people nationwide, generating sales of around EUR 2.21 billion in fiscal year 2020.

Fritz Hollweck, Head of Sports Sponsorship at Würth, is very happy about the partnership: “Würth has been a sponsor in professional soccer for many decades and is also very present in winter sports and the like. For us, e-sports constitutes an attractive opportunity to put our commitment on a broader digital basis, opening up a new, young target group in the process. We do not want to be a partner that only focuses on visibility but will use creative content formats to boost our digital channels and platforms far and wide.“

About NEO

The name says it all! NEO wants to become one of the best e-sports organizations in the world. A home for all existing and aspiring champions. Players and teams always willing to go the extra mile, not only demonstrating their sportive ambitions, but being true role models. Our social media work focuses on creative content and interaction with the community. NEO launches the season 2021/2022 with a highly ambitious team line-up in the FIFA title. Activities in other games titles are supposed to follow in the future.

About Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG

Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG is the leading manufacturer of fastening technology for professional use. It is the largest individual company of the globally operating Würth Group. Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG employs more than 7,900 people nationwide, generating sales of EUR 2.21 billion in fiscal year 2020.

Global sales activities lead to donation

This was the fourth time that Würth combined RW WORKOUT Week with a charity pledge: Per limited special-edition item sold, two euros were donated to UNICEF. That way, EUR 250,000 were collected in worldwide sales activities. “Despite the fact that we were not able to visit customers in person this year, it was still a matter of great importance to us to carry out the campaign—for helping others is part of our corporate identity. Particularly in times like these, it is all the more important not to neglect our social responsibility. With this donation, we give back to society and support those that are in desperate need of our help”, says Bettina Würth, Chairwoman of the Advisory Board of the Würth Group, about the campaign.

Isibindi Adolescent Youth Development Programme

The donation is given to UNICEF’s “Isibindi Adolescent Youth Development Programme” in South Africa. Isibindi was founded as a reaction to the HIV epidemic in the year 2000, as many children were orphaned or put at risk by that epidemic. Isibindi is a program that involves children in a community to protect them against abuse, neglect and violence. The program mainly focuses on the psychological well-being of children and adolescents, for instance by creating what are called Safe Parks. These are protected places for vulnerable children where they can recover and learn. The positive changes that Isibindi can thus create for these children offer them hope and new opportunities for the future.

“The Isibindi program pursues an end-to-end approach for children, adolescents and families throughout South Africa that are vulnerable to abuse, violence, neglect or exploitation“, says Christine Muhigana, head of UNICEF South Africa. “Activities in Safe Parks, as well as visits to their home, improve and protect the psychological and physical well-being of children and adolescents all over the country. The far-reaching consequences of COVID-19 led to vulnerable kids and adolescents being at risk even more. This is why the support by Würth is so important to expand these essential measures further. This way, we can change the everyday lives of disadvantaged communities for the better, giving hope and offering opportunities to children and adolescents.”

About the Würth Group

The Würth Group is the global market leader in its core business—the sale of fastening and assembly materials. It currently consists of more than 400 companies in over 80 countries with more than 80,000 employees on its payroll. Approximately 33,000 of those employees are salaried sales representatives. In the 2020 fiscal year, the Würth Group generated EUR 14.41 billion in sales.

In the Group's core business, the Würth Line, the sales program for the skilled trades and industry comprises more than 125,000 products: from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, technical chemicals and personal protective equipment. The Allied Companies of the Würth Group, which either operate in business areas related to its core business or in diversified business areas, round off the range by offering products for DIY stores, material for electrical installations, electronic components such as circuit boards, and financial services. They account for more than 40 percent of the Würth Group’s sales volume.

On top, Würth is official supplier of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2021 and thus supports the organization of the competitions already in the run-up. Würth products and services are used in building the slopes, for the safety precautions along the cross-country ski runs as well as in setting up the bleachers and the necessary infrastructure on the competition premises.

A Würth Bauloc® depot each is placed close to the ski-jump venue and the cross-country venue. In these stationary depots that look like containers, Würth stores materials, personal protective equipment, power tools and general tools precisely where they are needed, keeping distances short for volunteers and tradespeople.

About the Würth Group

The Würth Group is the global market leader in its core business—the sale of fastening and assembly materials. It consists of more than 400 companies in over 80 countries with more than 79,000 employees on its payroll. Approximately 33,000 of those employees are salaried sales representatives. According to the preliminary annual consolidated financial statements, the Würth Group generated EUR 14.41 billion in sales in fiscal year 2020.

In the Group's core business, the Würth Line, the sales program for the skilled trades and industry comprises more than 125,000 products: from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, technical chemicals and personal protective equipment. The Allied Companies round off the range by offering products for DIY stores, material for electrical installations, electronic components such as circuit boards and financial services. They account for around 40 percent of the Würth Group’s sales volume.

Anyone who downloads the new "Würth Collection – Sammlung Würth" app can look forward to pictures and videos of important works of the Würth Collection and receiving background information on their creation and significance in competent audio commentaries and short texts. Also designed as digital companion for museum visits, the app is structured according to Würth's exhibition locations in Germany: During the digital visit to Museum Würth in Künzelsau, visitors can admire the art of Munich sculptor Lun Tuchnowski in the collection retrospective "Geometry – Perception – Empathy", which was set to open its doors to the public on 23 January, coinciding with the app launch. Highlights of the collection from modern and contemporary periods can be viewed in the neighboring Museum Würth 2 with its adjacent sculpture garden. Click by click, you can trace Reinhold Würth's evolution as an art collector. From spring 2021, the contents presented in the app will also include the new exhibition "Leonhard Kern and Europe" at Kunsthalle Würth and "The Old Masters in the Würth Collection", among them the important Darmstadt Madonna by Hans Holbein the Younger, at Johanniterkirche in Schwäbisch Hall. In accordance with the COVID-19 Ordinance, the Würth museums are currently closed like all other cultural venues.

Harald Unkelbach, Member of the Management of Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG, opened the ceremony and extended his congratulations to the graduates. “You gained many experiences and expanded your personal network during the time of your study. Make the best of it.” Prof. Todd A. Mooradian, Dean of the College of Business of University of Louisville, who joined the ceremony via Skype, encouraged the students to “change the world”.

Another highlight was the address by Prof. Reinhold Würth, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Group’s Family Trusts. He called on the graduates to take responsibility wherever they are. This was followed by further inspiring speeches by Prof. Dr. Ralf Dillerup, Academic Director of the Global MBA Program, and Sabrina Caroli, a highly successful graduate of the MBA program, who both let the past months pass in review again.

About the MBA degree

Globally operating businesses are looking for employees with internationally recognized degrees, experience abroad and excellent English language skills now more than ever. The MBA program is an ideal platform. The MBA degree is awarded by the College of Business of the University of Louisville. The high-ranking college is fully accredited by the American Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

The strongly application-based lectures and exercises are held in English. In addition to that, the students complete half of the degree course period in the U.S. They have to draw up a business plan for their thesis. The program does not only improve the students’ language proficiency, but also fosters their intercultural exchange.

The study groups are composed of students of different companies and nationalities and with different backgrounds and experiences. They are taught by professors from Germany and the United States, as well as by professionals from the world of business, among them Prof. Reinhold Würth and Harald Unkelbach.

Information

Further information on the MBA program can be obtained from Juliane Kliesch at Akademie Würth Business School, T +49 7940/15-3079, as well as on the internet at www.wuerth.de/business-school. The next degree course will start in June 2021. The closing date for enrollment is 1 March 2021.

“Grossman's literary work is not only devoted to the lost and destroyed Jewish world of Eastern Europe. With equal intensity, he also deals with modern Israel”, the jury continued. The jury considers awarding the prize to the author, a descendant of Polish immigrants born in Jerusalem in 1954 and raised with a European mindset, a sign of cultural solidarity in times of growing anti-Semitism.

The German public knows David Grossman “not only as an author of novels and children’s books but also as a politically involved citizen”, said Ulrich Raulff, President of ifa, the German intermediary organisation for international cultural relations, and Director of the German Literature Archive in Marbach until 2018, in his laudatory speech. “Ever since the voice of his friend Amos Oz went silent, his has been considered the most important one of his country and civil society. His critical comments on Israeli politics are noticed and registered.” Raulff also pointed out the author’s keen eye for details in his laudatory speech. “David Grossman’s lifework reflects his fundamental political conviction: If you want to remember others that they are not damned to live with the sword and die from the sword, if you want to find the words that make enemies talk to each other, you also have to be able to listen to others. David Grossman teaches us that our hearing sense is our most humane sense.”

“I am a Jewish Israeli living in the Middle East and seeking the dialog with the EU, the USA, Latin America, Asia and Palestine.” These are the words David Grossman used to describe the intention of his writing during the awarding ceremony. Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Foundation: „David Grossman is one of those people the world needed in the tens of thousands, if not millions. He is willing to look for compromises and really put himself in the other’s shoes.”

In August, the German translation of Grossman’s latest book “Life Plays With Me”, highly acclaimed by literature critics, was released. A war report, love story and family history at the same time, it tells how the trauma of treason continues to spread in the family. In 2008, Grossman’s 600-page masterpiece “To the End of the Land” was published. The author received the Geschwister-Scholl literary award in 2008, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in 2010 and the Man Booker Prize in 2017. The 66-year old is a peace activist advocating for reconciliation in the Middle East.

About the Würth Prize for European Literature

The Würth Prize for European Literature, endowed with EUR 25,000, recognizes literary efforts that reflect Europe’s cultural diversity. It is awarded every other year to personalities who work at the crossing of different cultures, deal with European cultural traditions or dedicate themselves to experiences that emerged in their country due to European influence. The Würth Prize for European Literature is awarded irrespective of the literary genre. The jury is composed of members from the most different fields of literature and cultural mediation. The award winners:

• 2020 David Grossman

• 2018 Christoph Ransmayr

• 2016 Peter Handke

• 2014 Péter Nádas

• 2012 Hanna Krall

• 2010 Ilija Trojanow

• 2008 Peter Turrini

• 2006 Herta Müller

• 2004 Harald Hartung

• 2002 Claude Vigée

• 2000 Claudio Magris

• 1998 Hermann Lenz

In the foyer of Museum Würth 2, a handmade globe impresses with places and events that play an important role in the life of Reinhold Würth. The gigantic globe—with a diameter of almost 1.30 meters—was created on the occasion of his 83rd birthday. Users can now use the app to go on a virtual trip around the world with Reinhold Würth and learn more about the milestones in the entrepreneur’s life. The “Museum Würth 2” app is available free of charge in German and English in the AppStore or at Google Play.

Competitive exhibition of Europe’s biggest talents

The international large-scale event during which Europe’s best young professionals compete against each other in their respective profession every other year will for the first time take place in Austria in 2020. Roughly 650 outstanding young talents from 30 European countries will compete for the title of European champion in ca. 45 different professions in the fields of industry, the trades and services in Graz. The event will be attended by more than 100,000 visitors, watching the participants demonstrate their skills and qualifications under pressure of time. Roughly 1,500 persons in charge and 600 volunteers will support the mega event lasting several days that takes place on 60,000 square meters of event space in and around Messe Congress Graz.

About EuroSkills

EuroSkills is a professional competition taking place every other year. About 600 active participants are involved in the professional competition in the fields of industry, the trades and services. The body responsible for the European championship of the trades is WorldSkills Europe, an association founded in 2007 whose General Secretariat is located in the Netherlands. The objective of WorldSkills Europe is the promotion of professional qualifications, enhancing the status of vocational education in Europe as well as making the general public aware of the fact that highly trained specialists will make the European Union even more competitive. In 2020, the European championship of the trades will take place in Austria for the first time.

It was Carmen Würth’s wish that Philipp Lahm presents his social responsibility and the charitable activities he pursues at her special place, Hotel Restaurant Anne-Sophie. Philipp Lahm replied her question what message he had for the people with: “Joy has been and will always be most important to me. I always enjoy putting a smile on other people’s faces.” Carmen Würth added: “The joy in what you do is also enshrined in the philosophy of our hotel. It matters that we are open and respectful towards each other, promote mutual understanding and also take down social barriers.

On the second day of his visit, the former World Champion visited Freie Schule Anne-Sophie in Künzelsau to contribute to the project “Achtung Mensch: Menschenbilder” (Note people: views on people) After a lively Q&A session and intensive discussions on ‘World Ethos and sports’, the learning partners of Freie Schule Anne-Sophie enjoyed the highlight of the day: goal shooting at the school’s auditorium.

About the Philipp Lahm Foundation

The Philipp Lahm Foundation supports four projects and selected initiatives in Germany and Africa, particularly South Africa, where sports are used as a central instrument to convey social values and to promote the education of children and adolescents. The Foundation particularly supports young people from underprivileged families and social backgrounds.

About the Würth Foundation

Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold and Carmen Würth founded the Würth Foundation in 1987. It is a foundation of civil law having legal capacity, based in Künzelsau, Germany, and promotes charitable purposes. The Würth Foundation promotes projects in the fields of art and culture, research and science as well as education and training—mainly in the Heilbronn-Franconia region, where the Würth Group’s headquarters are located.

The projects of the Würth Foundation are supported by the German Würth Group, in particular by Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG.

That way, EUR 120,000 were collected in worldwide sales activities. Bettina Würth, Chairwoman of the Advisory Board of the Würth Group, commented on the campaign: “Würth shows commitment. This is part of our corporate culture and it goes beyond our commitment to our business and our customers. We are committed to social responsibility. Therefore, the opportunity to combine our commitment to our business, to our customers and to society in such a fund-raising campaign is a particularly great experience.”

The money collected during the campaign will be donated to UNICEF’s social project “Empowering Girls in Brazil”. This project aims at supporting young women in overcoming negative influences and social conventions that limit their freedom and keep them from taking over managerial functions. Among the initiatives supported by the project are local networks for young women that promote and foster their sense of personal responsibility, their self-esteem and their self-confidence and help them get involved in political decisions, especially in connection with their own rights and their right to education.

José de Guimarães draws his inspiration from many different and varied sources: his training as an engineer, his studies of the Old Masters in Europe, the stay in Angola, travels through Mexico and Japan and last but not least his passion for collecting African tribal art.

The exhibition in the Musée Würth France Erstein documents the development of the artist José de Guimarães. His own works of art are juxtaposed to approximately 20 impressive masks and figures from the Congo, Gabon and Nigeria, part of the ethonological collection of the art collector Guimarães.

José de Guimarães - Würth Collection and Loans

Until 15 March 2020 at Musée Würth France Erstein

Rue Georges Besse 67150 Erstein

Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 - 17:00 h /Sundays from 10:00 - 18:00 h

Closed Mondays

Free admission

International premium art on the Walk of Modern Art

“This impressive object with its strong symbolism, intellectuality and complexity also creates a crosslink to politics. Democracy requires education, and education opens up new perspectives and vision. Having said this, this sculpture may also inspire Salzburg’s state politics,” said Governor Wilfried Haslauer. Karl Gollegger, President of Salzburg Foundation, understands Kiefer’s latest sculpture and the other objects on the Walk of Modern Art as a “contribution to further strengthen Salzburg’s cultural image in Europe.”

Kiefer worked roughly twelve months on the sculpture

“Anselm Kiefer is an intellectual explorer. His work is characterized by its complexity of material and intellectual essence,” Walter Smerling, Art Director of Salzburg Foundation, outlines the special qualities of the artist’s oeuvre. And Reinhold Würth highlighted: “I am a keen admirer of Anselm Kiefer. Actually, his art moves me every day because his works radiate a tremendous power.”

Governor Haslauer visited him in Paris stating he wanted a piece of art instead of cars in Chiemseehof, the artist himself said about the work's creation. The object itself was created in the metropolis at the Seine and casted in Berlin. It took Kiefer roughly twelve months to complete his work.

Symbol of knowledge

“I thought is vertical. But I see all its layers. In my painting I tell stories in order to show what lies behind history,” says Anselm Kiefer, approaching a phantom with his latest work: the alchemist Fulcanelli, who is said to have worked in France in the 1920s. In his writings, he mentions a secret “language of the birds” blazing the trail to unveiling hidden truths; the experience of absolute enlightenment. With his bronze sculpture for Chiemseehof, Kiefer refers to a front page of a Fulcanelli treatise showing a raven sitting enthroned on a skull. For Kiefer, the books are a symbol of knowledge, tradition and wisdom, which you cannot entirely obtain but only approach.

Wings weighing tons

Almost three meters high, 1.80 meters wide and weighing several thousand kilograms—the Kiefer sculpture will automatically catch the eye of everyone visiting Chiemseehof. Special transport had to be arranged from Berlin to Salzburg. The object arrived in Salzburg well-covered on Tuesday and with a crane was lifted onto the conglomerate pillar measuring roughly one meter in front of the recently refurbished part of the government building. “This pillar weighs 7,000 kilograms. To securely put up the eagle’s wings and the pillar weighing tons, a fundament with metal reinforcement had to be concreted,” Josef Leitner of state government office management explained.

On loan from the Würth Collection

“The Language of the Birds” enriches the Walk of Modern Art founded by Salzburg Foundation in 2002 and including works of internationally renowned artists put up all over Salzburg’s old town, which are all on loan from the Würth Collection, one of Germany’s largest and most important private collections of the 20th and 21st century.

Prestigious award by the Land Salzburg for Reinhold Würth

Reinhold Würth, entrepreneur, collector and patron of science and art, was awarded the Decoration of the Land Salzburg to express “the gratitude for his ties to the cultural land of Salzburg and for being a generous patron of a series of renowned domestic cultural institutions,” said Governor Haslauer.

Reinhold Würth, born in Öhringen in the German Federal State of Baden-Württemberg in 1935, started an apprenticeship in his father’s screw business at the age of 14. He turned the company into a business leading the market in the field of connecting and assembly technology, today having some 77,000 employees worldwide. Today, he is the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Group’s Family Trusts.

Internationally renowned artist Anselm Kiefer

Anselm Kiefer was born in Donaueschingen in the German Federal State of Baden-Württemberg in 1945. He lives and works in Paris. Kiefer belongs to the most important and successful German artists after 1945 and ranges among the most influential artists of today. His works are on display at all high-ranking international art exhibitions and prestigious museums worldwide. Kiefer holds several honorary doctorates and was awarded many prizes and state decorations, including the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art in 2005.

At iThemba Labantu Community Centre, 400 children and adolescents can learn and play in a protected space in the township otherwise dominated by violence and neglect. Otto Kohlstock of Berlin Mission manages iThemba Labantu Community Centre in Philippi and is happy about the inauguration of the soccer field: “Above all, the field makes the eyes of the children and adolescents of our community beam with happiness. It gives them the chance to spend their time after school with a meaningful leisure activity, forget their everyday problems while playing and promote team spirit within the group.”

Ulrich Roth, member of the board of the Würth Foundation, adds this to Otto Kohlstock’s words: “With the new sports ground we can get children and adolescents off the street. We know that the soccer field is available only to a small group of children and adolescents affected by poverty. Still, we hope that this sports ground will be a model for others to follow.”

About Themba Labantu – Hoffnung für die Menschen e.V.

On a business trip almost 20 years ago, Margarete and Klaus Doppler met Reverend Otto Kohlstock and learned about iThemba Labantu Community Centre. Then, the community center was a nursing home for terminal AIDS patients. This gave rise to the idea of founding a hospice to accompany people on a dignified last journey. The Doppler family could not stop thinking about this emotional encounter linked to poverty, violence and hunger predominant in South Africa. As in all African countries, also in the South African townships education is the key to a better future. Therefore, they did not only develop a strategy for a hospice together with Reverend Otto Kohlstock but in a second step also for education. To finance the implementation of their ambitious goals, Margarete Doppler, supported by her husband Klaus and his professional contacts, founded the non-profit organization Themba Labantu – Hoffnung für die Menschen e.V., which is based in Munich, Germany. Thanks to the support of the organization, first a hospice was built, which was then followed by a pre-school and several afternoon activities (art and music workshops, theater, singing and sports groups). During a conference of the Würth Group in South Africa, Reverend Kohlstock and Margarete Doppler met Carmen Würth. Already during their first encounter, Carmen Würth knew that she wanted to support the organization. Supported by the Würth Group, a training workshop for car mechanics and a solar workshop were equipped. Besides other diverse promotions, e.g. for the construction of a soup kitchen to provide a healthy diet for children and adolescents, the generous support by the Würth Foundation in the construction of Philipp Lahm Sportsground is another milestone in the cooperation.

About the Würth Foundation

Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold and Carmen Würth founded the Würth Foundation in 1987. It is a foundation of civil law having legal capacity, based in Künzelsau, Germany, and promotes charitable purposes. The Würth Foundation promotes projects in the fields of art and culture, research and science as well as education and training—mainly in the Hohenlohe region, where the Würth Group’s headquarters are located. Also social integration projects for refugees and migrants are supported.

The projects of the Würth Foundation are supported by the German Würth Group, in particular by Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG.

“Due to the economic activity of the region, there is urgent demand for a building like CARMEN WÜRTH FORUM, which was originally planned as a multi-functional location that can be used both internally and externally, thus strengthening the region as a whole,”, said Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Würth Group’s Family Trusts.

The annex comprises a total area of 5,550 m². The annex will house ten conference rooms with movable partition walls for a maximum of 700 persons. In the future, it will thus be possible to hold several events at CARMEN WÜRTH FORUM over one or more days, which is made easier by a second entrance. In connection with the already existing premises, the additional rooms make many new event formats possible and are perfectly suited for large-scale congresses, conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions.

The second construction stage includes the construction of a museum for a permanent exhibition of works from the Würth Collection. When the culture and convention center is rented by an event organizer, the museum can be used as exclusive event area for evening events.

A second foyer, a courtyard as well as a café structure the flow of visitors between the conference rooms and the museum.

Currently, CARMEN WÜRTH FORUM features a big event hall with ca. 2,000 seats and Reinhold Würth Hall for a total of 600 visitors.

The timelessly elegant and light-flooded complex was designed by the Berlin office of British architect Sir David Chipperfield. It embodies his interpretation of the interplay of art, space and nature in the shape of the building. “With the second construction stage, we will complete CARMEN WÜRTH FORUM and implement Reinhold Würth’s vision of a building as a meeting place and gesture to the employees of Würth. It is a symbol of their community beyond the workplace and an interface between the company and the outside community,” adds Chipperfield.

All events will be held as planned during the construction phase.

In Rothschild's world of objects, elements such as circles, spheres, squares or lines meet the meaningful aura of the various materials she works with – metal, Plexiglas, wood, leather or paper. The works often appear robust and fragile at the same time. She explores inside spaces as well as outdoor areas. Rothschild never just places a monolithic sculpture in the room, but always lets her works react to the specific environment.

Rothschild was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1971 and now lives in London. From 1997 to 1999, she studied at the renowned Goldsmith's College in London. A series of exhibitions, including at Tate Britain in London in 2009 and the Public Art Fund in New York in 2011, have drawn international attention to her work.

The Robert Jacobsen Prize

Every two years, the Würth Foundation awards the Robert Jacobsen Prize to a contemporary artist. The prize is awarded in memory of the Danish sculptor Robert Jacobsen who died in 1993. Previous laureates of the Prize are Lun Tuchnowski (1993), Richard Deacon (1995), Magdalena Jetelová (1997), Gereon Lepper (1999/2000), Stephan Kern (2001/2002), Rui Chafes (2003/2004), Bernar Venet (2005/2006), Monika Sosnowska (2008/2009), Jeppe Hein (2011/2012), Michael Sailstorfer (2014/2015) and Yngve Holen (2016/2017), with Eva Rothschild now joining an impressive selection of sculptors that have been honored with the Würth Foundation’s Robert Jacobsen Prize.

Members of the jury of the 13th Robert Jacobsen Prize

The jury of the Robert Jacobsen Prize, chaired by C. Sylvia Weber, Director of the Würth Collection, is made up of Rui Chafes, sculptor, Lisbon; Yngve Holen, sculptor, Berlin; Dr. Gottfried Knapp, critic, Munich; Prof. Dr. Christiane Lange, Director of Staatsgalerie Stuttgart; Sean Rainbird, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin; Philip Rylands, former Director of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, Venice, and Michael Sailstorfer, sculptor, Berlin.

About the Würth Foundation

In 1987, Prof. Dr. h. c. mult. Reinhold Würth and Carmen Würth established the Würth Foundation. The Würth Foundation, based in Künzelsau, is a foundation of civil law having legal capacity and solely and directly promotes charitable purposes. The Würth Foundation promotes projects in the fields of art and culture, research and science as well as education and training, and does so primarily in the Hohenlohe region where the headquarters of the

Würth Group are located. Social projects for the integration of refugees and migrants with refugee status not yet clarified are also supported. The projects of the Würth Foundation are supported by the German Würth companies, in particular Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG.

The jury gave a special mention to Hotel-Restaurant Anne-Sophie, where people with and without disabilities work together every day, the Markus Würth Endowed Professorship for Pediatric Neuro-Orthopedics and Cerebral Palsy as well as facilities for people with disabilities in Greece and Kyrgyzstan and educational facilities in South Africa. Moreover, Würth has been supporting Special Olympics Germany, the German branch of the world’s largest sports association for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities, since 2008.

This commitment to Special Olympics was initiated by Carmen Würth who has made it her mission to bring people with and without disabilities together and to promote understanding and tolerance.

The award was presented during the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) of the United Nations. Since 1992, the IDPD has been observed annually all around the world on 3 December. The theme of this year’s IDPD was “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”. The goal of this second round of awards was to honor and internationally recognize the successful initiatives of companies that are great examples of the positive integration of people with disabilities into the labor market.

About the Würth Group

The Würth Group is the global market leader in its core business—the sale of fastening and assembly materials. It currently consists of more than 400 companies in over 80 countries with more than 76,000 employees on its payroll. Approximately 33,000 of those employees are salaried sales representatives.

In the Group's core business, the Würth Line, the sales program for the trades and industry comprises more than 125,000 products: from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, technical chemicals and personal protective equipment.

The Allied Companies of the Würth Group, which either operate in business areas related to its core business or in diversified business areas, round off the range by offering products for DIY stores, material for electrical installations, electronic components such as circuit boards, and financial services. They account for more than 40 percent of the Würth Group’s sales volume.

In this way, 120,000 euros were collected in worldwide sales activities. Bettina Würth, Chairwomen of the Advisory Board of the Würth Group, handed over the symbolic check to UNICEF on Tuesday. “It is part of our corporate culture to get involved and make a social contribution. Therefore, I am particularly delighted that this donation can be made thanks to the commitment of different companies of the Würth Group. This proves once more that our corporate culture is lived in all companies,” explains Bettina Würth.

The donation will benefit a social project in the Philippines supported by UNICEF. The Molave Youth Home in Quezon City looks after children and adolescents who came into conflict with the law and helps them reintegrate into society and try a new beginning.

About the Würth Group

The Würth Group is the world's market leader in its core business, the trade in assembly and fastening materials. It currently consists of more than 400 companies in over 80 countries with more than 75,000 employees on its payroll. Approximately 32,000 of those employees are salaried sales representatives.

In the Group's core business, the Würth Line, the sales program for the trades and industry comprises more than 125,000 products: from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, technical chemicals and personal protective equipment.

The Allied Companies of the Würth Group, which either operate in business areas related to its core business or in diversified business areas, round off the range by offering products for DIY stores, material for electrical installations, electronic components such as circuit boards, and financial services. They account for more than 40 percent of the Würth Group’s sales volume.

Focus on marketing and sales

In the focus of the WECONOMY days at Würth will be marketing and sales topics, which will be addressed and discussed on both days by means of speed mentoring sessions, keynote speeches and workshops. Among the experts are also two Würth representatives: Alexander Kimmig, Head of Power Tools, Services and Systems, and Dr. Martin Wädele, Head of Research & Development at Würth, will share their expertise in so-called speed mentoring sessions. There, experts and founders discuss a focus topic from their daily business selected by the founders.

About the Würth Group

The Würth Group is the world's market leader in its core business, the trade in assembly and fastening materials. It currently consists of more than 400 companies in over 80 countries with more than 74,000 employees on its payroll. Approximately 32,000 of those employees are salaried sales representatives. In the Group's core business, the Würth Line, the sales program for the trades and industry comprises more than 125,000 products: from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, technical chemicals and personal protective equipment. The Allied Companies of the Würth Group, which either operate in business areas related to its core business or in diversified business areas, round off the range by offering products for DIY stores, material for electrical installations, electronic components such as circuit boards, and financial services. They account for more than 40 percent of the Würth Group's sales volume.

About WECONOMY

Every year, WECONOMY provides technology-oriented start-up companies with support in the implementation of essential topics such as market entry, organization and company development as well as access to interesting networks of entrepreneurs, managers, experts and founders. For WECONOMY, Wissensfabrik cooperates with the business and innovation center UnternehmerTUM of the Technical University of Munich and Handelsblatt as a media partner.

About Wissensfabrik

“Wissensfabrik – Unternehmen für Deutschland e.V.” is an initiative by companies and foundations committing themselves to education of children and adolescents as well as to entrepreneurship in Germany. The network of German businesses comprises more than 130 members of all company sizes and from all industries. Its objective is to promote the exchange between businesses, educational institutions and sciences in order to strengthen Germany’s ability to innovate. The non-profit association based in Ludwigshafen is involved in roughly 2,900 education partnerships supporting knowledge transfer and skills development in sciences, technology, as well as business thinking and activity. The initiative focuses on education projects for daycare centers and primary schools developed together with science partners. Furthermore, Wissensfabrik offers a mentoring program and the start-up initiative WECONOMY to support young entrepreneurs in the implementation of their business ideas.

“Our children are our future. Their hearts have to beat for all questions to be answered. Our task is to pave their way, offering opportunities and creating room to turn their ideas and visions of a positive world into reality,” Robert Friedmann, Chairman of the Central Managing Board of the Würth Group, said in his speech.

For the first time, Carmen Würth Forum in Künzelsau-Gaisbach was the venue for the gala evening. The award ceremony was accompanied by a multi-course dinner prepared by the best chefs of the Hohenlohe region, a speech by State Premier of Baden-Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann and musical contributions by Würth Philharmoniker.

The “Unternehmerisches Herz” award

“Unternehmerisches Herz” award is presented on the occasion of the Global Market Leader Summit, where managing directors and representatives of top companies meet experts from the business community and representative from science and politics. The prize is awarded by Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG in cooperation with WirtschaftsWoche. It is presented to entrepreneurs who act in a brave and authentic way and set standards beyond the boundaries of their company thanks to their integrity and ideals. The winner of the prize is chosen by a jury consisting of the following members: Robert Friedmann (Chairman of the Central Managing Board of the Würth Group), Prof. Dr. Miriam Meckel (Publisher of the WirtschaftsWoche), Andreas Schmitz (Chairman of the Supervisory Board, HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG), Christiane Wodtke (Managing Partner of Wodtke GmbH), Dr. Carl-Heiner Schmid (Senior Partner of Heinrich Schmid GmbH & Co. KG), André Häusling (Managing Director of HR Pioneers GmbH) and Dr. Hendrik Brandis (Co-Founder and Partner of Earlybird) as well as the two latest award winners Henrik Schunk (CEO Schunk GmbH & Co. KG) and Sina Trinkwalder (Managing Director of manomama GmbH).

About the award winner

The start-up “Call a Midwife” was founded by midwife Sabine Kroh in 2016. Together with her team, she offers pregnant women and mothers a digital platform where they can contact midwives against payment. In this way, all questions about pregnancy, birth and infants shall be answered in a quick and simple manner to prevent uncertainties. On “Call a Midwife”, midwives are available on 365 days offering their support in nine languages. For the future, the start-up plans to offer its own app and to cooperate with German health insurance.

About Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG

Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG is the leading specialist in the trade of assembly and connecting materials for professional use. It is the largest individual company of the globally operating Würth Group that currently consists of over 400 companies in more than 80 countries and has more than 74,000 employees on the payroll. The product range comprises 125,000 products for craft and industry and is sold around the world by the companies of the Würth Line: from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, chemical-technical products and personal protective equipment. On a global scale, the Würth Group supplies to more than three million customers. According to the preliminary annual financial statement, the Würth Group generated EUR 12.7 billion in sales in fiscal year 2017.

About WirtschaftsWoche

WirtschaftsWoche is the main up-to-date business magazine for decision-makers with a consistent focus on economy. Week after week, more than 100 employees, editors, reporters and correspondents from all over the world analyze the most important events of economy and politics, in financial markets and management, in science and technology. WirtschaftsWoche coverage is complemented by the www.wiwo.de online team, which presents and analyzes events and results on a daily basis.