Carinthian literary stars: Josef Winkler receives culture price 2024!

Carinthian literary stars: Josef Winkler receives culture price 2024!

Ossiach, Österreich - The Carinthian author Josef Winkler was awarded the Cultural Prize of the State of Carinthia, endowed with 20,000 euros. The ceremonial award took place in the Carinthian Music Academy Ossiach. Governor Peter Kaiser, represented by the cultural body with Angelika Hödl and Brigitte Winkler-Komari, recognized Winkler's significant contribution to culture and spoke of his role as a "critical correlate" of the country. Kaiser found that Winkler had given a lot over the years and emphasized the importance of maintaining cultural funding despite difficult financial framework conditions , as ORF reported .

In an emotional acceptance speech, Winkler shared his experiences with his family during the "Día de Los Muertos" in Mexico and explained that every visit to the grave is a metaphor for his letter: "I am concerned with this and deeper and deeper." The laudation was held by the Germanist Klaus Kastberger, who described Winkler as one of the most important figures in German -language literature. Kastberger emphasized that hardly a Carinthian poet earns this award more than Winkler, who, with his literature, realized a "radical claim of rule of the picture" and made Carinthia a unique literary continent , Klick-kaernten.at summarized .

In addition, five further funding prices and two recognition prices were extended. The Wulfen Prize, which was awarded for the first time at the award ceremony, went to Klaus Krainer from ARGE Nature Conservation for his tireless projects to protect the Carinthian nature. Culture officer Antonio Fian and Angelika Hödl warned in their speeches of the challenges against which culture faces and emphasized the need to strengthen art and culture as essential elements of society. Fian said that the term "culture" should not be devalued by inflation, but was an indispensable part of democracy.