Maecenas

Maecenas (Caius Maecenas), d. 8 B.C., Roman statesman and patron of letters. He was born (between 74 B.C. and 64 B.C.) into a wealthy family and was a trusted adviser of Octavian (Augustus), who employed Maecenas as his personal representative for various political missions. Later he retired and devoted all his time to his famous literary circle, which included Horace, Vergil, and Propertius. Although his friendship with Octavian became strained in later years, he bequeathed all his property to the emperor. To the great poets of his day he proved a friend and a munificent patron. His name is the symbol of the wealthy, generous patron of the arts.

The Maecenas-Ehrung is a distinction awarded by the German Arbeitskreis selbständiger Kultur-Institute, AsKI. (engl.: Association of Independent Cultural Institutions). The distinction is awarded biennially to personalities that have significantly promoted art and culture in Germany. An independent jury selects the laureates.

With the Maecenas distinction the AsKI honors privately financed promotion of culture. It is to communicate the results of and to encourage for new patronage. Part of the Maecenas-Ehrung is the presentation of a piece of art or adequate honorable gift, since 2003 a bronze sculpture of the artist Manfred Sihle-Wissel.

The AsKI has been founded in 1967 as an association of today 35 nationally and internationally renowned independent cultural and research institutions. With valuable collections they particularly represent the quality and variety of German culture.

Laureates

• 2007 – Berthold Leibinger
• 2005 – Prince Michael von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach
• 2003 – Günter Braun and Waldtraut Braun
• 2001 – Udo van Meeteren
• 1999 – Clara Freifrau von Arnim and Wolf-Dietrich Speck von Sternburg
• 1997 – Paul Sacher
• 1995 – Henri Nannen
• 1993 – Marion Ermer
• 1991 – Alfred C. Toepfer
• 1989 – Arend Oetker

See also

• Gaius Maecenas, Roman advisor and eponym of the Maecenas distinction

References

• Maecenas-Ehrung des AsKI e. V. (in German)

External links

Notes

• Translated from German article in de.wikipedia.org

de: Maecenas-Ehrung