Stefan Hanke: A man who captures the dignity of concentration camp survivors!

Stefan Hanke: A man who captures the dignity of concentration camp survivors!

The municipality of Sinzing's New Year's reception took place on January 20, 2026, at which the first mayor Martin Brix honored special successes of citizens from 2025. Among those honored was Stefan Hanke, who received the City of Regensburg's 2025 Culture Prize for his outstanding achievements. The celebratory award ceremony had already taken place on October 22, 2025 in the Regensburg City Theater, where Mayor Maltz-Schwarzfischer presented the prize worth 10,000 euros.

The culture prize is awarded to honor exceptional achievements in the cultural field. Stefan Hanke, born in Regensburg in 1961, is a photographer with over 40 years of experience who specializes in portrait photography. Known as a “human photographer”, Hanke places great value on the dignity of the individual and allows this to be expressed in his work. His most important project, “KZ Survives,” has been documenting the lives of 120 survivors of National Socialist concentration camps since 2010.

The “Concentration Camp Survives” project

Through his research, Hanke traveled throughout Europe to find contemporary witnesses and record their stories. A particular strength of his work lies in the impressive black and white portraits, which impressively highlight the individuality and personality of the survivors. The project was exhibited in the Paul Löbe House of the German Bundestag from 2013 and presented as a traveling exhibition in around 20 locations in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria. To date, over 180,000 visitors have seen the exhibition.

Hanke's commitment to the culture of remembrance and his contribution to conveying historical context to younger generations are of particular importance. In November 2024, Hanke gave a photo lecture about “Surviving the Concentration Camp” in the Sinzing town hall, which further strengthened his connection to the community. His concern to convey historical themes through art is also supported by numerous awards: he received, among others, the Bavarian Photo Prize (1987), the Kodak Photo Book Prize (1988) as well as the Cultural Promotion Prize of the City of Regensburg (2004) and the Culture Prize of the Regensburg District (2013).

influence on culture

Hanke's projects have enriched cultural life not only in Regensburg, but also in the entire Upper Palatinate. Over 40 solo exhibitions and numerous illustrated books document his artistic work. Paul Schinner, a visual artist and cultural award winner himself, praises Hanke's continuous and conceptual work, which permanently changes the perception of art and history.

The municipality of Sinzing warmly congratulates Stefan Hanke on his award and thus recognizes not only his personal success, but also his contributions to culture and remembrance education in Germany. Stefan Hanke is a prime example of how art can build bridges to historical topics and stimulate social discourse.

For further information about Stefan Hanke and his awards, you can visit the pages of Sinzing as well as Regensburg can be visited.