By Mario Scherhaufer

The 2009 German Burns Award winner looks at resistance by stressed U.S. homeowners facing eviction, while the Kennan Commentary Award winner looks at the changed meaning and interpretation of German “angst.”

Roman Pletter, winner of the 2009 Burns Award, and jury member Sabine Christiansen

Roman Pletter (Burns 2009), an editor at the business magazine Brand Eins, won the German Burns Award for “Die große Landnahme (The big land grab),” published in December 2009 in Brand Eins. Subtitled “Besuche an Orten des Widerstandes (Visiting places of resistance),” Pletter’s story deals with indebted U.S. homeowners who are revolting against the banks trying to evict them. The jury was impressed by the extensive research by Pletter, who covered the issue from multiple perspectives. With clear and concise language and good composition, Pletter’s piece draws in the reader from beginning to end. By providing an exciting and detailed view of the resistance against bank evictions, Pletter also gave a deep portrayal of the American psyche during trying economic times.

The two 2,000-Euro prizes, usually given to one German and one American alumnus or alumna, are awarded by Germany’s foreign minister. Pletter received his honor from German Foreign Minister Dr. Guido Westerwelle at the annual Burns alumni dinner and lecture on June 2 in Berlin.

Despite an eventful year in Germany with Bundestagswahl (parliamentary elections), the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and other important domestic and foreign policy decisions, none of the stories received from U.S. Burns alumni was deemed worthy of the 2,000 euro prize by the selection jury.

Two American and one German Burns alumni received honorary mentions by the jury. David Francis (Burns 2009) was honored for his article “The next page: Berlin—20 years wall-free,” published on November 8, 2009, in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The story is a very personal commentary on significant people, moments and places in Berlin’s recent history. Moira Herbst (Burns 2008) received the mention for “East Germany 20 Years after Reunification,” an overview of business and economic revival in the former East Germany published in Businessweek on November 5, 2009. Herbst showcases former East German DDR brands that have successfully made the transition into the current German economy. Max von Klitzing (Burns 2004) and Freeeye TV received an honorary mention for a two-part TV documentary “Durch die Wildnis Amerikas (Through America’s wilderness),” aired on April 23 and 30, 2009, on NDR. Klitzing’s remarkable 90-minute documentary on one of the great American hiking challenges—the Appalachian Trail—portrayed magnificent landscapes along with a selection of stories from people living along the 3,400 kilometer trail between Georgia and Maine.

Roman Pletter, winner of the 2009 Burns Award, and jury member Sabine Christiansen

The 2,000-Euro George F. Kennan Commentary Award went to Roger Cohen, a Berlin correspondent for The New York Times and a columnist for the International Herald Tribune, for his analysis of “German Angst (German fear),” published on March 20, 2009, in the magazine of Süddeutsche Zeitung. Cohen’s analysis of the changing transatlantic relationship mirrors the changes in the U.S.-coined term ‘German Angst.’ Cohen, who won the Kennan Commentary Award in 2000, describes a change in the German mentality in convincing and surprisingly entertaining language.

The jury for both awards was comprised of journalists Sabine Christiansen, Dr. Christoph von Marschall (Tagesspiegel), Claus Strunz (Hamburger Abendblatt), Florian Illies (Die Zeit/Monopol) and Dr. Dominik Wichmann (Süddeutsche Zeitung), as well as Dr. Frank-Dieter Freiling (ZDF) and Petra Stoeckl (Foreign Ministry of Germany).

2008 Burns Award Winners
2007 Burns Award Winners
2006 Burns Award Winners
2005 Burns Award Winners
2004 Burns Award Winners
2003 Burns Award Winners
2002 Burns Award Winners