After the German Booksellers Prize was withdrawn, the culture minister, Wolfram Weimer, defended his decision.
He told the Funke media group that when an institution visibly backs the slogan “Deutschland verrecke” (“Germany deteriorates”), questions arise about the prize’s legitimacy. He cited one of the three bookstores that were excluded from the award under the “Haber” procedure, which requires consultation with the domestic intelligence agency before granting funding. Weimer explained that this procedure is only activated in absolute exceptional cases.
Regarding the bookstores’ protest, Weimer noted that the shop representatives had written an open letter thanking the state for the public relations and support they received. He emphasized that discussion and consensus building around bookshops and books are important to him. Consequently, he plans to invite key stakeholders from the book trade to a meeting in order to discuss how the bookseller prize should be handled moving forward.
