The Heinrich Greif Prize () was an East German state award bestowed on individuals for contribution to the state's cinema and television industry.
History The prize was awarded by the East German Ministry of Culture for "outstanding achievements in Socialist-Realist cinema and television"Frank Bartel, Jürgen Karpinski. Auszeichnungen der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. Pages 110–111. and was presented annually to directors, cinematographers, writers and other filmmakers who were recognized for creating valued works in the field. It had three classes, and originally could be bestowed only in collective, to a group of producers. Since 1959, awards for single persons were also granted.Magdalena Heider, Kerstin Thöns. SED und Intellektuelle in der DDR der fünfziger Jahre. . Page 58. The recipients were given a silver medal, a diploma and a sum of money, which varied from 7,500 East German Mark to 20,000. Since 1973, the medals were no longer made of silver.Günter Tautz. Orden, Preise und Medaillen: staatliche Auszeichnungen der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik. . Page 151.
Established at 17 May 1951 in memory of actor Heinrich Greif, it was first awarded on 25 May that year.Bundesministerium für Gesamtdeutsche Fragen. Die SBZ von A bis Z: Ein Taschen- und Nachschlagewerk übre die Sowjetische Besatzungszone Deutschlands.. . Pages 196–197. The 1st class was received by the creators of The Eyewitness newsreel series, the 2nd class by the production team of the documentary The Way Upwards and the 3rd was given to the makers of a series of popular science films.
The prize's presentation ceremony mostly took place on 11 March, Greif's birthday.Historisches Museum Dresden. Orden und Ehrenzeichen der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik. . Page 20. It was awarded for the last time in 1989.Klaus Finke. Politik und Mythos: Kader, Arbeiter und Aktivisten im DEFA-Film. . Page 133.
Notable recipients Ulrich Plenzdorf (awarded 1971) Frank Beyer (1961, 1984) Heiner Carow (1959, 1967) Heinz Kahlau (1962) Herbert Köfer (1964) Manfred Krug (1962) Kurt Jung-Alsen (1973) Vasily Livanov (1969) Günter Reisch (1978) Günther Rücker (1966) Helga Schubert (1983) Günther Simon (1955) Lothar Warneke (1971, 1983) Job von Witzleben (1966) Monika Anderson (1972) (director in one Rübezahl series) Werner Krauße (1972) (director in one Rübezahl series)
References
External links A photo of the Heinrich Greif Prize's medal, in a list of East German prizes. DEFA's annual chronicle 1945–1989, with all the prize winners listed.