Dr. Kurt Bigler / Bergheimer
1925 - 2007
How and why the Prize honoring Dr. Bigler/Bergheimer was established: It was the wish of the late Dr. Kurt Bigler (whose original family name was Bergheimer) to create a foundation to financially support projects or activities of a scientific, pedagogical, social or psychological nature examining the causes of the Holocaust as well as its aftermath, of anti-Semitism and/or racism. In addition the Prize should be awarded to work which has the excellence and capacity to be applied in schools, high schools, as well as universities and other institutions of higher learning in order to raise awareness for the causes of these enormous societal problems as well as to research preventive measures or coping strategies to overcome them.
This foundation is connected with the TAMACH association, it will be administered through a board and will be financially accountable to the association. The amount of the Prize is 5’000 Swiss Francs, awarded every two years.
The commemorative work of art “Solidarity” was created by the German artist Bettina Rave in honor of Kurt Bigler
The nine Hebrew letter plaques of Bettina Rave’s work spell “Solidariut” (Solidarity) in Hebrew, a word which had great meaning for Dr. Kurt Bigler in his educational and political work as well as in his daily life. The handwritten German letters are taken from a text of Dr. Bigler’s, written at the age of 16 and spell the word “Mitgefühl” (compassion). Bringing together these two words in Hebrew and German represents a form of homage to Kurt Bigler, for whom words – particularly these words -- were very important. Each Prize recipient in the coming years will receive one of these plaques, connecting each of them with the memory of Kurt Bigler and with each other.
The artist Bettina Rave lives in Berlin and was connected with Kurt Bigler from an early age on. She studied at the College of Arts (Hochschule der Künste) in Berlin and the Rhode Island School of Design and is the recipient of many awards and fellowships. She is known for her ability to bring together sensitive painting with conceptional art (www.bettinarave.de).