Suche
Eberswalde announces winners of the 2025 State Integration Prize!
On October 19, 2025, Eberswalde awarded the 17th State Integration Prize to outstanding integration initiatives and personalities.
Eberswalde announces winners of the 2025 State Integration Prize!
On October 19, 2025, numerous interested parties gathered in Eberswalde when the 17th Brandenburg State Integration Prize was awarded. Interior Minister René Wilke and the state integration officer Diana Gonzalez Olivo honored outstanding people and initiatives that are committed to the integration of newcomers to Brandenburg. Wilke emphasized the important role that these award winners play for society and praised their tireless efforts.
The evening of honors produced an impressive selection of honorees. A total of four outstanding initiatives and personalities were honored, all of which received prize money of 6,000 euros each. The award winners are:
- Ukrainischer Verein OPORA Eberswalde e.V.
- Samineh Mohammadtaheri aus Forst
- Schülertraining SEKIZ e.V. Potsdam
- Dieter Langwagen aus Cottbus
The award winners in detail
The Ukrainian association OPORA, founded in May 2023, has set itself the goal of helping Ukrainian refugees arrive in Brandenburg. With over 350 events, the initiative offers numerous opportunities for participation and personal development.
The Iranian Samineh Mohammadtaheri fled her home country ten years ago and quickly integrated. She attaches great importance to social cohesion and is involved in various civil society networks. After completing her master's degree in hairdressing in 2022, she opened her own business and is therefore considered a role model for other migrants.
Another prize winner who was honored in Eberswalde is the student training SEKIZ e.V., which has been helping children and young people with refugee experience and a migrant background to overcome school challenges since 2009. The team of over 30 volunteer student trainers does valuable work for the young people in Potsdam.
Dieter Langwagen, over 80 years old, can look back on a long period of commitment. He has been active in Cottbus since the 1970s and teaches German to refugees and foreign students in speaking cafés. His tireless commitment to integration is appreciated by many.
A great success and outlook for 2025
This year's award ceremony draws a positive conclusion: there were a total of 37 applications for the state integration award, which shows the high motivation and number of initiatives in Brandenburg. Gonzalez Olivo encouraged participants to submit their projects for 2025 as well. Your invitation to participate reflects the ongoing need for integration work and invites you to overcome hurdles together and celebrate diversity.
Like the reporting from barnim-aktuell and rbb24 shows, these awards are not only a sign of recognition, but also an incentive for further initiatives to work for harmonious coexistence and successful integration.