Düsseldorf celebrates: drupa Prize 2025 for outstanding dissertation!

Düsseldorf celebrates: drupa Prize 2025 for outstanding dissertation!

On September 1, 2025, the drupa Prize 2025 was awarded to Anna Maria Jonietz for her outstanding dissertation on the Medicean self-portrait collection from 1650 to 1723. Her work is dedicated to the role of self-portraits in art and science historical discourses. This award is given annually to young scientists in the Faculty of Philosophy at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and is endowed with 6,000 euros. Numerous personalities were present at the award ceremony in Düsseldorf, including Wolfram N. Diener and Prof. Dr. Heidrun Dorgeloh, while Dr. Andreas Pleßke congratulated the award winner in a video message.

Jonietz's dissertation, which was awarded summa cum laude, examines the Medici self-portrait collection as a communication tool and shows how historical image strategies are linked to current questions about media impact and public perception. The jury highlighted the methodological originality and interdisciplinary approach of the work and recognized the outstanding research achievements of Anna Maria Jonietz.

About the award winner

Anna Maria Jonietz was born in Ratibor, Poland, in 1989 and studied art history and Italian at the Ruhr University Bochum. Her academic career took her to research stays in Munich, Düsseldorf and Florence, where she received her doctorate at Heinrich Heine University. After completing her doctorate, she worked as a research assistant at the Chair of Modern to Early Modern Art History.

Jonietz currently lives in Munich and works as a speaker at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences. Her dissertation is distinguished by its interdisciplinary approach and shows how deeply rooted the connection between art and science is.

The drupa price in context

The drupa prize has been awarded by Messe Düsseldorf since 1978 and promotes the publication and dissemination of award-winning dissertations. The award is made by an expert committee made up of members of Heinrich Heine University and Messe Düsseldorf. This annual award not only recognizes individual achievements, but also contributes to the promotion of young scientists.

Jonietz's honor also points to the important role of art and science in the historical context, as expressed, for example, in the analysis of the Medici self-portrait collection. Florentine court life in the 16th century, shaped by artists such as Benvenuto Cellini, shows how close the connection was between art production and political communication. Cellini's works, including the famous bronze bust of Cosimo I and the monumental statue of Perseus, impressively illustrate how art was used as an instrument of power and how this tradition continues to have an impact today.