Konstantin Richter receives the German Non-Fiction Prize 2026 for “Dreihundert Männer. Aufstieg und Fall der Deutschland AG”

The winner of the German Non-Fiction Prize 2026 has been announced: Konstantin Richter has received the award for his work 
“Dreihundert Männer. Aufstieg und Fall der Deutschland AG” (Suhrkamp).

Statement from the jury: 
“To this day, the concept of ‘Germany Inc.’ continues to shape our conception of ourselves as a successful economic nation. In his history of the German economy from the early days of industrialisation to the present, Konstantin Richter shows just how little the ideas and assumptions associated with this model still correspond to contemporary realities. Through a skilfully constructed narrative, he reveals how the network of the ‘300 men’ shaped Germany on a personal, economic and political level. One thing becomes clear: this came at a cost. Nostalgia offers no way forward. Konstantin Richter exposes what lies behind the abstract notion of the ‘German economy’, providing a foundation for drawing the right conclusions for the future.”

The members of the jury for the German Non-Fiction Prize 2026 are: Sibylle Anderl (Die Zeit), Maja Brankovic (Wirtschaftswoche), Manuela Lenzen (science journalist), Pascal Mathéus ("Wassermann” bookshop, Hamburg-Blankenese), Patricia Rahemipour (Institute for Museum Research, Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation), Stefan Spiegel (funk / Marmota Maps) and Katrin Vohland (Natural History Museum Vienna).

“Through non-fiction books, we learn something about the nature of the world: stepping away from our professional and social lives allows us to see things more clearly and with greater understanding. And it is not only the solutions or answers we may find in a book that help us to move forward. On the contrary: if, while reading, we encounter questions we may never have asked ourselves before, then I would say that this is where we gain the greatest benefit from a book in our own lives”, said Sebastian Guggolz, President of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German Publishers and Booksellers Association), at the award ceremony.

The following books were also nominated for the award:

• Heike Behrend: Gespräche mit einem Toten. Gustaf Nagel, Prophet vom Arendsee (Matthes & Seitz Berlin)
• Florence Gaub: Szenario. Die Zukunft steht auf dem Spiel (dtv)
• Tilmann Lahme: Thomas Mann. Ein Leben (dtv)
• Irina Scherbakowa: Der Schlüssel würde noch passen. Moskauer Erinnerungen (Droemer)
• Bettina Schöne-Seifert: Leben, Körper, Tod. Zwölf aktuelle Kontroversen der Medizinethik (Wallstein)
• Roberto Simanowski: Sprachmaschinen. Eine Philosophie der künstlichen Intelligenz (C.H.Beck)
• Ronen Steinke: Meinungsfreiheit. Wie Polizei und Justiz unser Grundrecht einschränken – und wie wir es verteidigen (Berlin Verlag)

Konstantin Richter is awarded 25,000 euros in prize money, while the seven other shortlisted authors each receive 2,500 euros. The winner was selected through a multi-stage evaluation process. Since the call for submissions opened, the seven members of the jury have reviewed 239 non-fiction titles published from April 2025 onwards. From these, the jury compiled a shortlist of eight books. The award ceremony took place in the Small Hall of the Elbphilharmonie and featured a welcome address by Jana Schiedek, State Councillor for Culture and Media of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The event was hosted by Katty Salié, presenter of the ZDF cultural programme “aspekte”. A recording of the ceremony is available online.

The German Non-Fiction Prize is awarded by the Stiftung Buchkultur und Leseförderung des Börsenvereins des Deutschen Buchhandels (Foundation for Book Culture and the Promotion of Reading of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association). It honours an outstanding non-fiction book originally published in German that makes a significant contribution to public debate.

The Deutsche Bank Stiftung (Deutsche Bank Foundation) is the main supporter of the prize, which is also backed by the City of Hamburg and Frankfurter Buchmesse. The ZDF cultural programme “aspekte” and Deutschlandfunk Kultur are media partners of the award.

A press photo of the winner will be available from approx. 8 p.m. at www.boersenverein.de/pressefotos.

For more information and a full list of event dates, visit www.deutscher-sachbuchpreis.de.
The hashtag for the German Non-Fiction Prize is #DeutscherSachbuchpreis