For the tenth time, the Münzenbergforum is holding an art competition in the categories of film, photography, and collage.
Ninety years ago, right-wing nationalists, monarchists, and elements of the military and the Roman Catholic Church, with the support of German and Italian fascists, staged a coup against the democratically elected Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic. Thousands of volunteers from all over the world came to Spain to defend the Republic. Among them were writers, artists, workers, photographers, and political activists. In its eleventh year, we are dedicating the art competition to the Spanish Civil War and the themes of memory, resistance, and hope in times of fascist rise.
The Spanish Civil War was not merely a military conflict; it was a struggle for democracy, social justice, and the question of what a different society might look like. Many artists, such as Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, Gerda Taro, and Egon Erwin Kisch, responded directly to the events—with photographs, poems, films, posters, and reports that continue to shape our image of this war to this day.
In this light, the Münzenberg Forum has chosen as its motto the epitaph of Lucía Sánchez Saornil, the Spanish writer, anarchist, and co-founder of the anarchist organization Mujeres Libres, which fought against the Francoists during the Spanish Civil War:
But … is it true that hope is dead?
Lucía Sánchez Saornil was born in Madrid in 1895 into a working-class family. Even as a young woman, she wrote poetry and worked as a telephone operator. In the 1920s, she became involved in the anarchist and feminist movements. However, she came to realize that even within revolutionary movements, women were often disadvantaged. That is why, in 1936, she founded the organization Mujeres Libres together with Amparo Poch y Gascón and Mercedes Comaposada. The organization fought for women’s education, self-determination, and political participation.
During the Spanish Civil War, she worked for the anarchist press and founded the anti-fascist aid organization “Solidaridad Internacional Antifascista” (SIA). Through the Mujeres Libres, she offered educational programs, childcare, and political training so that women could actively participate in the social and anti-fascist struggle. By 1939, the organization had grown to more than 20,000 members.
After the Republic’s defeat, Lucía Sánchez Saornil, like many others, was forced into exile. From France, she organized aid for the refugees. After her return, she lived under the Franco dictatorship and withdrew from public political life. Nevertheless, she remained committed to her anarchist and feminist convictions until her death in 1970. The Mujeres Libres was banned and dismantled; its members were persecuted and imprisoned or went into exile.
The MÜNZENBERG FORUM BERLIN expects submissions that deal with today’s socio-political conditions and developments using the respective stylistic means in the context of the theme. The deadline for all three categories is 6 August 2026. We will award prize money of up to €5,000 in each category, the distribution of which will be decided by a jury.
The works of all prize winners will be shown in an exhibition from 16 October 2026 to 30 November 2026, in the foyer of FMP1 (Franz-Mehring-Platz 1, 10243 Berlin). In addition, the winners‘ contributions will be published on the website and in the social media channels of the MÜNZENBERG FORUM BERLIN and in a supplement to the documentation.
ATTENTION: We have currently some issues with HCaptcha. If you are unable to submit your entry via the form, please send it by email to:
– Photo to foto@muenzenbergforum.de
– Film to film@muenzenbergforum.de
– Collage to collage@muenzenbergforum.de
