- Recognition with the Goethe Medal for "remarkable females"
Three ladies, hailing from Chile, Mexico, and North Macedonia, have been bestowed the Goethe Medal. This honor was given to literary translator and interpreter Claudia Cabrera from Mexico, art historian and cultural manager Iskra Geshoska from North Macedonia, and theater festival founder Carmen Romero Quero from Chile, at a ceremony in Weimar.
The Goethe-Institut often celebrates this award on August 28, which is also the birthday of renowned poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). This Goethe Medal is regarded as the most prestigious award in the Federal Republic's foreign cultural policy.
Carola Lentz, President of the Goethe-Institut, expressed her delight at three "powerful women" receiving the Goethe Medal. She acknowledged that while they work with subtlety, they also make significant impact in their societies and beyond. At the event, she noted, "Their work is particularly valuable in the face of oppressive political crises and social divisions."
Lentz believes that through their cultural efforts, these women help foster dreams of a better world, promoting peace, tolerance, and creativity in challenging times.
The speakers praised Claudia Cabrera's diverse work as a literary translator, the hurdles faced by Iskra Geshoska in independent cultural work, and Carmen Romero Quero's impactful role in international theater.
Since 1955, the Goethe-Institut has been presenting the Goethe Medal. Over 300 individuals have received it since then, including conductor Daniel Barenboim, social economist Princess Marilyn Douala Manga Bell, and writer David Cornwell, better known as John le Carré.
Women from diverse backgrounds have been consistently honored with the Goethe Medal, as evident in the recipients this year, including Claudia Cabrera from Mexico, Iskra Geshoska from North Macedonia, and Carmen Romero Quero from Chile. Lentz highlights the significant impact of these women, emphasizing how their cultural efforts contribute to fostering dreams of a better world despite oppressive political crises and social divisions.
