The Rogatchi Foundation Culture for Humanity 2025 Prize was awarded to Dr Dr Felix Klein, Germany’s Federal Commissioner for the Jewish Life and Fight Against Anti-Semitism at a special ceremony during a public event at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Helsinki.
Culture for Humanity 2025 Prize is awarded to Dr Klein for his outstanding contribution to the restoration, preservation and fostering Jewish music, culture and heritage, and for his steady and meaningful contribution to maintaining justice, fairness, decency and humanity at the highest governmental and public level in Germany and beyond it.
The Award ceremony took place on February 11th, 2025 as an opening part of the special public event co-organised by the Faculty of Theology of the University of Helsinki, Rogatchi Foundation in cooperation with the Embassy of Germany in Finland. The event was attended by many top representative of the diplomatic missions in Finland, including Ambassador of Germany Stephan Auer, Ambassador of Austria Herbert Pichler, Ambassador of Switzerland Sabrina Dellafior Matter, Ambassador of Chile Belen Sapag , Ambassador of Peru Prof Dr Ernesto Pinto Bazurco Rittler, Deputy Head of Mission of the US Susan Bridestine , Secretary of the Embassy of Poland Isabella Furmaniak, Advisor at the Federal Chancellery of Austria Alice Penz. Among the attendees there were chairman of the Finnish Holocaust Remembrance Association former long-term MP Kimmo Sasi, well-known writer, previous chairman of the Finnish PEN and member of the PEN International Board Jarkko Tontti, well-known Finnish director and script-writer Taru Mäkelä, director of the Goethe-Institute Dr Irene Bark, members of the Faculty, international students, the members of the public.
Opening the event, the dean of the Faculty of Theology prof. Antti Räsänen read the greetings from the Minister of Education Anders Adlercreuz, in which the minister has underlined: “The work done by the Rogatchi Foundation is of great consequence. The foundation’s promotion of projects related to cultural education, cultural preservation, historic and spiritual heritage with humanity is highly admirable. Dr Felix Klein’s work against Antisemitism has been very impactful and thus, is a highly deserving winner of the Culture for Humanity 2025 Award.”
On behalf of his Faculty, prof. Räsänen emphasised the ongoing interest of his colleagues in a high-quality close look on various aspects of faith in the modern world: “ The Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki is one of the largest institutions for theology and religious studies in Europe and also worldwide. For us, more important than our large size is what we see as our mission: we educate experts in theology for various roles in churches, many religions, and society. The research of our Faculty is ranked of the highest standard in Finland, and also of international excellence. The motto of the faculty is to educate academic actors with knowledge, judgment, empathy, and moral courage. When I think of this event, I am delighted to observe that this awarding and lecture fit very well with the goals of the Faculty of Theology. Dr. Felix Klein is addressing important and simultaneously difficult issues that require much knowledge, very much empathy, judgment, and moral courage.’
The same theme of moral courage and stand of defending decency and civility, compassion and fairness was elaborated in the address of Inna Rogatchi, President of the Rogatchi Foundation. Starting with cordial greetings to the event from the Head of the Chancellery of the President of Finland Mr Lauri Tierala who did express his ‘deep appreciation of the event and wished it every success”.
“We just came here to this ceremony to the University quarters, from the big and important international conference on anti-Semitism organised by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs within the framework of Finland’s presidency year at the OSCE. The conference is important and has widely -mandated decisive authorities, with about 200 delegates from 57 countries attending it. I thought it would be important to remember, twice so at our ceremony, that the tradition of setting up the international conference on anti-Semitism as the first one in an annual circle of the OSCE events, has been set by the initiative of the man who is sitting here in the first row of our auditorium, the laureate of our Culture for Humanity 2025 Award Dr Felix Klein’ – introduced Inna Rogatchi.
President of the Rogatchi Foundation in her award ceremony for Dr Klein speech emphasised that the foundation sees in him ‘ a Renaissance man, the person who very successfully combines the vast portfolio of his duties, both helping the Jewish life, heritage and legacy thrive in Germany, with his artistic mission, being founder of several well-known professional musical ensembles in Germany whose mission is to restore the heritage of Jewish music, persecuted composers, extremely talented and highly mattering in history of culture people whose life was either ended brutally , or was effected in the most dramatic way. With this Award, our Foundation expresses our gratitude to Dr Klein for caring about these people, these traditions, this music, and our all’ history. Nothing is more important in life than humanity. And we are very glad to award Dr Felix Klein, the one of the most visible champions of humanity today, with our Culture for Humanity Award”.
This year, the Award of the Foundation consisted of Special Diploma and Jewish Melody painting by Michael Rogatchi, chairman of the Rogatchi Foundation.
In his handing-award speech, the artist said: “ Throughout my career, I painted a lot of music. The music of all genres, from classic to jazz and back. I do believe in this very special, essential, and actually unique bond between visual line and image and the indefinite world, space and cosmos of music. Both are movements of a soul. As you might know, I have created many special images related to music in its very different forms. But among all those images, this one is the dearest one to me. And I think that it fits everything that Felix Klein does, and what he stands for, very adequately. That’s why I can say that this image and this very work is for Felix specifically. And it is not happening every day.
I am very glad that this very work will be with Dr Klein, with our dear friend Felix, and we are thanking him deeply for all he does and what we do together, in our joint projects on Music, Art, Memory and Humanity. “
Detailed background and history of the central image of Michael Rogatchi Jewish Melody painting can be read here.
In his acceptance speech, Dr Felix Klein emphasised: “ The goal of the Nazis’ exterminationist antisemitism was to annihilate all of Jewish life. This antisemitism sought to destroy Jewish voices and lives, putting a permanent end to the transmission of Jewish cultural heritage from generation to generation.
It did not succeed in this mission. And yet, in an unprecedented betrayal of all civilised values, Jews were forced to experience unfathomable suffering. ( …).
Celebrating Jewish music and culture and making them visible also cannot bring back those who were lost. It doesn’t make up for past injustice. And yet, every note that is played, every song that is sung is a small strike against injustice, against uncivilised barbarism. ( …).
Music moves us because it is, as the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “the universal language of humankind”. And in this spirit, I thank you very much indeed for this award. But it is even more to thank you, dear Inna and you, dear Michael, in keeping Jewish culture alive and vibrant. And I wish you every continued success with this endeavour – we need you!”.
Full speech of the Commissioner Dr Felix Klein can be read here.
A special Culture for Humanity 2025 Award ceremony was an opening part of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Helsinki public event which included the Commissioner Dr Klein’s special lecture Anti-Semitism as a Threat to the European Democracy and Society: The German Example, presentation of the recent Finnish Study on Contemporary anti-Semitism in Finland by researcher Mercedesz Czymbambos, as well as questions and discussion. Dr Klein’s lecture was introduced by prof. Katharina Kunter, presentation of the Finnish study on contemporary anti-Semitism was introduced by prof. Mikko Ketola, and the discussion part was introduced by the head of the Faculty’s ICE program Saila Poutilainen.
The Rogatchi Foundation cordially thanks our colleagues at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Helsinki and the German Embassy in Finland for warm and productive cooperation.