The Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office of Berlin cordially invites you to the ceremonial awarding of the Silvio Meier Prize 2026.
By awarding the Silvio Meier Prize, the district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg takes a clear stance against right-wing extremism, racism, exclusion and discrimination, and aims to encourage active, non-violent advocacy for freedom, political and cultural emancipation regardless of origin, religion, social status or sexual identity, and to support and honor corresponding actions.
The Silvio Meier Prize 2026 goes to the project coordinator of the protest bus Adenauer SRP+ Stefan Pelzer and the neighborhood initiative OSTKREUZ BLEIBT BUNT.
The program
Award ceremony, live music with Lena Stoehrfaktor and subsequent get-together.
The history of the prize
The prize bears the name of Silvio Meier, a passionate fighter for freedom and political emancipation. It honors individuals, groups, initiatives, or projects that are or have been actively working against social paternalism, disenfranchisement, discrimination, and social and cultural exclusion in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district.
The prize is named after Silvio Meier, a man who courageously stood up for freedom and democracy. He was active in the peace and human rights movement in East Germany, as well as in his fight against right-wing extremism. Silvio Meier was stabbed to death by neo-Nazis in 1992 at the age of 27. With the Silvio Meier Prize, the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district commemorates a courageous individual who passionately championed tolerance.
The award winners
Stefan Pelzer will be awarded the 2026 Silvio Meier Prize for his creative and sustained commitment as a civil society activist against right-wing extremism, fascism, racism, exclusion, and discrimination. The bus company owner from Friedrichshain is the initiator and project coordinator of the Adenauer SRP+ protest bus, a project of the Center for Political Beauty. As part of a cooperatively funded art project, a bus was converted into a "prison transport" to confront fascist and right-wing extremist protests and actions. This nationwide action bus organizes and supports anti-fascist protests. It serves as a stage, an attraction, and a voice for the protesters. The Adenauer SRP+ project strengthens protest movements where support is needed, particularly in regions where right-wing actors are strongly present and resistance is often difficult and dangerous. The Adenauer ARP+ protest bus, initiated by Stefan Pelzer, was also visible and active in support of protests in Friedrichshain, for example at the counter-protests against the far-right marches in March 2025.
OSTKREUZ BLEIBT BUNT is a neighborhood initiative against right-wing extremism and for diversity around the Ostkreuz neighborhood, which has succeeded within a short time in activating and networking people and initiatives from Friedrichshain and Lichtenberg, who are otherwise involved in a wide variety of contexts, for active resistance against "the right". The initiative was founded in November 2024 after the right-wing populist former AfD politician Ferhat Sentürk announced a neo-Nazi march through Friedrichshain for December 12, 2024, under the motto "For law and order, against left-wing extremism and politically motivated violence." A dance demonstration prevented the predominantly very young neo-Nazis from marching through Friedrichshain. In March 2025, the neighborhood initiative, in an alliance of hundreds of people and initiatives, once again prevented Ostkreuz from becoming a stage for neo-Nazis, right-wing ideology, and aggressive right-wing rock music. Beyond these demonstrations, OSTKREUZ BLEIBT BUNT (East Cross Remains Colorful) has since been continuously working with numerous and highly diverse creative and colorful actions against the far right and for a diverse and vibrant Friedrichshain, ensuring that people here don't feel alone: "Through our work in the neighborhood, we quickly realized that Ostkreuz isn't simply 'naturally colorful.'" Rather, this open and anti-fascist neighborhood is the result of decades of work by numerous initiatives, associations, individuals, and institutions. To make this work more visible and strengthen community cohesion, OSTKREUZ BLEIBT BUNT (East Cross Remains Colorful) initiated street festivals celebrating diversity directly at Ostkreuz station on Liberation Day in 2025 and 2026. These festivals became not only a space for encounters, exchange, and engagement, but also a shared, lived symbol that Ostkreuz will remain diverse. This is also thanks to the work and commitment of OSTKREUZ BLEIBT BUNT.
Live music with Lena Stoehrfaktor
Authenticity, tenacity, and taking a stand are more than just empty phrases for Lena Stoehrfaktor—they are the credo of a tireless artist who has been a strong advocate for the Berlin underground scene since the early 2000s. This musician with a love for old-school rap knows exactly what matters: On the one hand, she takes a finely analytical look at social injustices instead of sweeping them under the rug; on the other hand, she delivers one punchline after another with a free-flowing, unfiltered style. Following her album “Blei” (2018) and the EP "Essenz" (2022), her album "Pretty World," entirely produced by Blake Beauty, was released in January 2025.