September 2026
Meeting Brno is celebrating a major international achievement. On 8 September in Munich, a delegation representing the festival received from Bavarian State Minister for European and International Affairs Eric Beißwenger the Medal for Outstanding Services to the Free State of Bavaria in Europe and the World, the so-called Bavarian European Medal (Europamedaille). With this prestigious honour, the Free State of Bavaria recognised the festival’s longstanding commitment to Czech-Bavarian reconciliation, the development of cross-border dialogue and the strengthening of European values.
The Bavarian European Medal has been awarded by the state government since 1990 to individuals who have made a significant contribution to promoting the European idea and international cooperation. In the case of Meeting Brno, the award recognises the work of the entire team, which has built in Brno a respected platform for encounters between different cultures, nationalities and religions. Among the festival’s most significant initiatives are its open engagement with a complex shared history and the traditional Reconciliation March, which commemorates the fate of Brno’s German-speaking population after the Second World War and transforms historical trauma into a living dialogue about the Europe of today and tomorrow.
Statement by Bavarian Minister Eric Beißwenger
«Rapprochement cannot be left to politicians and governments alone. It needs people from the heart of society who can bring it to life – and that is exactly what Meeting Brno represents. For ten years, you have been advancing a process that addresses our shared history openly and honestly,» said Bavarian State Minister for European and International Affairs Eric Beißwenger.
«I see the awarding of this medal first and foremost as recognition of the entire Meeting Brno festival, of all the colleagues, volunteers and international partners who have worked tirelessly on it for years,» said Petr Kalousek immediately after the ceremony at the Bavarian State Chancellery. Kalousek was one of the initiators of the 2015 Declaration of Reconciliation, through which the city of Brno expressed its regret over the violence that followed the Second World War, and is a co-founder of the festival.
Cultural diplomacy, the willingness to listen and to engage in dialogue have enormous power
«When we started years ago, we believed that looking at our own history truthfully and openly was not a sign of weakness, but the right path towards good neighbourly relations and cooperation. The fact that representatives of Bavaria are today recognising our festival confirms that cultural diplomacy, the willingness to listen and to engage in dialogue have enormous power to overcome old barriers and to build strong European alliances and friendships.»
«The fact that the Meeting Brno festival has received such a prestigious Bavarian state honour is an important moment for our entire team and for the city of Brno,» emphasises David Macek, co-founder of the Meeting Brno festival. «It is a clear sign that the values on which we have built the festival – mutual respect, the courage to engage in self-reflection, and the search for a common language across borders – have a fundamental international significance.»
An award that also brings responsibility for the future
«We are immensely happy about this recognition. It is a tribute to the festival and, at the same time, confirmation that the path we have chosen is leaving a lasting mark. Our greatest thanks go above all to the public for the support we felt so strongly during this year’s edition: without people’s openness and interest, our work would not have the same meaning. The award from Bavaria is not only a joyful milestone for us, but also a major responsibility for the future. At a time when European cohesion is being tested in new ways, we want future editions of the festival to continue to be a space that is both safe and courageous, fostering a culture of encounter, open debate and mutual understanding,» says Meeting Brno festival director Veronika Smyslová.
«Receiving the Bavarian European Medal is a great honour for us and confirmation that sustained efforts to promote dialogue and a culture of understanding bear fruit,» adds Jiří Mottl, chairman of the Meeting Brno association. «The Reconciliation March and the festival itself demonstrate just how profoundly relations between neighbours can be transformed when we find the courage to embrace openness, truth and mutual listening. We see this recognition as both a strong commitment and an encouragement to continue our work.»
The award ceremony took place in the prestigious Dome Hall of the Bavarian State Chancellery in Munich.
Meeting Brno 2026, an event of Czech-German reconciliation
The medal comes in the wake of the exceptional and, in many respects, historic 11th edition of the Meeting Brno festival, held at the end of May 2026 under the motto «Kde domov můj?» (“Where Is My Home?”).
This year’s edition made history because, for the first time, Brno provided a venue for the traditional Sudeten German Day directly in the original homeland of those who had been expelled. With record participation by the public, witnesses to history and international guests, the event represented a major milestone on the path towards Czech-German reconciliation and a tangible demonstration of how the wounds of history can become the foundation for lasting friendship and cooperation.
The formal presentation of the award took place in the prestigious Dome Hall of the Bavarian State Chancellery in Munich, in the presence of representatives of the Bavarian state government, members of the diplomatic corps and prominent figures from Czech and German cultural and public life.
