Buchenwald book wins prize for exceptional design in Frankfurt!

Buchenwald book wins prize for exceptional design in Frankfurt!

The “Book Art Foundation Prize” was awarded on September 5, 2025 during a festive ceremony in the Museum of Applied Arts in Frankfurt am Main. This year's prize, worth 10,000 euros, goes to the book "Buchenwald - In the Thicket of Ettersberg", designed by Christian Rothe. This confirms the University of Weimar as the main source of information.

Christian Rothe, a visual communication alumnus, has proven to be a talented designer since his thesis “Because he was him, because I was me” in 2015. For his latest photo book, Rothe was selected by a five-member jury, which selected the book from 25 “Most Beautiful German Books” from around 600 submissions. The jury praised the work as “full of power and dignity” and appreciated the respectful approach to a difficult topic.

Design and materiality

Christian Rothe photographed the area of ​​the former concentration camp over a period of seven years using a large-format analog camera. The images show barely recognizable foundations, thickets, stairs and rotten tracks and thus form a haunting testimony. The cover of the book, which is very striking with the word “Buchenwald” embossed on it, contributes to the special effect. The photographs are printed on high-quality natural paper and produced using frequency-modulated screening, which emphasizes the materiality of the book.

The jury emphasized the importance of the long-lasting, material and sensual quality of printed books. Dr. Joachim Unseld, publisher of the Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt, emphasized that the design quality of the book was crucial to its value. This is particularly relevant at a time when the book industry is faced with the challenge of creating high quality and creative products.

Details about the book and the award ceremony

The book has a format of 21.5 x 33 cm, contains 240 pages and was produced in an edition of 800 copies. The price per book is 38 euros and the ISBN is 978-3-96070-125-5. The cardboard tape with gauze cover is made of hinged material on 1 mm gray cardboard. The printing was done using offset technology and the typographic design came from the Copa-Ipa studio under the direction of Christian Rothe.

In addition to the honorary award ceremony, the winners of the “Promotion Prize for Young Book Design” were also recognized, which reinforces the focus on promoting young talent in book design. In addition, the catalog of the “Most Beautiful German Books 2025”, designed by Studio Tillack Knöll from Stuttgart, was presented for the first time and will be shown in a traveling exhibition both nationally and internationally.

In an exhibition that opened parallel to the award ceremony in Hangzhou, China, the award-winning books were shown that establish the connection between art and memory. Together with the Literaturhaus Frankfurt, the exhibition will also be on display in the foyer all year round. The Book Art Foundation The aim of its competitions is to draw attention to the form and design of books, which benefits the entire industry.

Given the positive developments in the industry, it is clear that beautiful books can continue to maintain their place in media and society. Rothe's award is an example of the outstanding quality in the field of book design that the Book Art Foundation promotes.