The Karl Dedecius Award Gala at Villa Decius – an evening of translation, dialogue and literature beyond borders 01.07.2026
On 1 July, the Kraków gala of the Karl Dedecius Award was held at Villa Decius – one of the most important distinctions for translators of German-language literature into Polish and of Polish literature into German. This year’s laureates were Eliza Borg, honoured for her translation of Jenny Erpenbeck’s novel Kairos into Polish, and Olaf Kühl, awarded for his translation of Szczepan Twardoch’s novel Null into German, published as Die Nulllinie. Roman aus dem Krieg.
The ceremony at Villa Decius was a gathering devoted to the role of translation in the international circulation of culture. Villa Decius, which has for years been building a space for dialogue, cooperation and the exchange of ideas, once again became a place where literature crosses the borders of languages, memories and experiences. The venue of the gala was therefore no coincidence. For 30 years, we have remained a place of encounters – between people, ideas, languages and values.
The evening opened with a musical performance by Paweł Czarakcziew, whose cello playing gave the ceremony an intimate and contemplative character. Music also returned in subsequent parts of the programme, shaping the rhythm of the evening and subtly accompanying the literature. The entire event was interspersed with excerpts from Jenny Erpenbeck’s novel Kairos, translated by the laureate, Eliza Borg. The text was read by Łukasz Stawarczyk, allowing the audience to hear the language of the award-winning translation directly – its precision, naturalness and literary tension.
An important part of the gala was the presentation of the books shortlisted for this year’s Karl Dedecius Award. In the category of translations into German, the shortlisted titles were: Zyta Rudzka’s Lachen kann, wer Zähne hat, translated by Lisa Palmes; Aurelia Wyleżyńska’s Über nichts schreiben, als was meine Augen sehen. Tagebuch aus dem besetzten Warschau 1939 bis 1944, translated by Bernhard Hartmann; and Szczepan Twardoch’s Die Nulllinie, translated by Olaf Kühl. In the category of translations into Polish, the nominees were: Elfriede Jelinek’s Dane odosobowe, translated by Agnieszka Kowaluk; Gregor von Rezzori’s Niegdysiejsze śniegi, translated by Małgorzata Gralińska; Judith Schalansky’s Szyję żyrafy, translated by Kamil Idzikowski; and Jenny Erpenbeck’s Kairos, translated by Eliza Borg.
The central moment of the evening was the laudation dedicated to Eliza Borg, delivered by Prof. Peter Oliver Loew, Director of the German Poland Institute. At its heart was the metaphor of the titular Kairos – the right, appropriate and fortunate moment. The laudation brought out what is most difficult in the translator’s work: capturing meaning in motion, before it slips away into literalness or simplification.
As stated in the laudation:
“In the semantic field of the ancient Greek root kair, we find collocations with what is ‘right’, ‘appropriate’, ‘favourable’ and ‘fortunate’. This year’s decision of the jury is undoubtedly exactly that: right, appropriate and very fortunate. (...) In this sense, the translator’s work becomes a constant search for a linguistic kairos – that one precise Polish word or phrase which will convey the lightness, melody and hidden meaning of the German original. In her translation, Eliza Borg demonstrates an excellent sensitivity to such moments. Her Polish is not weighed down by grammatical lead or awkward literalness; rather, encountering her text means experiencing admiration for accurate, perfectly balanced literary decisions.”
These words capture the significance of the Karl Dedecius Award. The distinction reminds us that translators are not merely intermediaries between languages. They are co-creators of the international life of literature. It is thanks to them that books can enter new reading circuits and become part of other debates, other memories and other sensitivities. Without their work, literature would too easily remain confined within the borders of a single language.
The award was presented by Heiko Maas – lawyer and former German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dominika Kasprowicz – Director of the Villa Decius Institute for Culture, and Henryk Woźniakowski – Chair of the Board of the Villa Decius Association. After the award ceremony, the laureate took the floor and spoke about the work of a translator as an experience requiring attentiveness, responsibility and constant listening to the text. This was followed by a conversation with the laureate, allowing the audience to learn more about the process of working on the translation of Kairos, as well as the broader context of Jenny Erpenbeck’s writing.
The importance of literature as a space for understanding was also recalled in the words of dr hab. Dominika Kasprowicz, Professor at the Jagiellonian University and Director of Villa Decius:
“Literature, however, does something more. It creates the conditions for understanding realities other than our own. At a time when societies are becoming increasingly divided, we need what I often call the critical infrastructure of empathy: the ability to listen, to imagine another perspective and to recognise our shared humanity despite our differences.”
The Villa Decius Institute for Culture consistently develops activities that foster encounter, dialogue and international exchange. The Gala of the Karl Dedecius Award fits this mission in a particularly meaningful way: it brings together literature, memory, Polish-German cooperation and recognition for those whose work often remains less visible than the names of authors.
The Kraków gala concluded with a commemorative photograph and conversations among the participants. It was an elegant and natural finale: after the official speeches, music, readings and discussion, there was time for encounter – precisely what has constituted the essence of Villa Decius for three decades.
The Gala of the Karl Dedecius Award at Villa Decius reminded us that translation is not only literary work, but also a gesture of trust towards another language and another culture. Thanks to translators, Polish literature can reach readers beyond the country’s borders, while world literature can become part of our conversation about reality. Villa Decius, as a cultural institution of the City of Kraków, remains a place that enables this conversation, strengthens it and gives it the significance it deserves.
The evening opened with a musical performance by Paweł Czarakcziew, whose cello playing gave the ceremony an intimate and contemplative character. Music also returned in subsequent parts of the programme, shaping the rhythm of the evening and subtly accompanying the literature. The entire event was interspersed with excerpts from Jenny Erpenbeck’s novel Kairos, translated by the laureate, Eliza Borg. The text was read by Łukasz Stawarczyk, allowing the audience to hear the language of the award-winning translation directly – its precision, naturalness and literary tension.
An important part of the gala was the presentation of the books shortlisted for this year’s Karl Dedecius Award. In the category of translations into German, the shortlisted titles were: Zyta Rudzka’s Lachen kann, wer Zähne hat, translated by Lisa Palmes; Aurelia Wyleżyńska’s Über nichts schreiben, als was meine Augen sehen. Tagebuch aus dem besetzten Warschau 1939 bis 1944, translated by Bernhard Hartmann; and Szczepan Twardoch’s Die Nulllinie, translated by Olaf Kühl. In the category of translations into Polish, the nominees were: Elfriede Jelinek’s Dane odosobowe, translated by Agnieszka Kowaluk; Gregor von Rezzori’s Niegdysiejsze śniegi, translated by Małgorzata Gralińska; Judith Schalansky’s Szyję żyrafy, translated by Kamil Idzikowski; and Jenny Erpenbeck’s Kairos, translated by Eliza Borg.
The central moment of the evening was the laudation dedicated to Eliza Borg, delivered by Prof. Peter Oliver Loew, Director of the German Poland Institute. At its heart was the metaphor of the titular Kairos – the right, appropriate and fortunate moment. The laudation brought out what is most difficult in the translator’s work: capturing meaning in motion, before it slips away into literalness or simplification.
As stated in the laudation:
“In the semantic field of the ancient Greek root kair, we find collocations with what is ‘right’, ‘appropriate’, ‘favourable’ and ‘fortunate’. This year’s decision of the jury is undoubtedly exactly that: right, appropriate and very fortunate. (...) In this sense, the translator’s work becomes a constant search for a linguistic kairos – that one precise Polish word or phrase which will convey the lightness, melody and hidden meaning of the German original. In her translation, Eliza Borg demonstrates an excellent sensitivity to such moments. Her Polish is not weighed down by grammatical lead or awkward literalness; rather, encountering her text means experiencing admiration for accurate, perfectly balanced literary decisions.”
These words capture the significance of the Karl Dedecius Award. The distinction reminds us that translators are not merely intermediaries between languages. They are co-creators of the international life of literature. It is thanks to them that books can enter new reading circuits and become part of other debates, other memories and other sensitivities. Without their work, literature would too easily remain confined within the borders of a single language.
The award was presented by Heiko Maas – lawyer and former German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dominika Kasprowicz – Director of the Villa Decius Institute for Culture, and Henryk Woźniakowski – Chair of the Board of the Villa Decius Association. After the award ceremony, the laureate took the floor and spoke about the work of a translator as an experience requiring attentiveness, responsibility and constant listening to the text. This was followed by a conversation with the laureate, allowing the audience to learn more about the process of working on the translation of Kairos, as well as the broader context of Jenny Erpenbeck’s writing.
The importance of literature as a space for understanding was also recalled in the words of dr hab. Dominika Kasprowicz, Professor at the Jagiellonian University and Director of Villa Decius:
“Literature, however, does something more. It creates the conditions for understanding realities other than our own. At a time when societies are becoming increasingly divided, we need what I often call the critical infrastructure of empathy: the ability to listen, to imagine another perspective and to recognise our shared humanity despite our differences.”
The Villa Decius Institute for Culture consistently develops activities that foster encounter, dialogue and international exchange. The Gala of the Karl Dedecius Award fits this mission in a particularly meaningful way: it brings together literature, memory, Polish-German cooperation and recognition for those whose work often remains less visible than the names of authors.
The Kraków gala concluded with a commemorative photograph and conversations among the participants. It was an elegant and natural finale: after the official speeches, music, readings and discussion, there was time for encounter – precisely what has constituted the essence of Villa Decius for three decades.
The Gala of the Karl Dedecius Award at Villa Decius reminded us that translation is not only literary work, but also a gesture of trust towards another language and another culture. Thanks to translators, Polish literature can reach readers beyond the country’s borders, while world literature can become part of our conversation about reality. Villa Decius, as a cultural institution of the City of Kraków, remains a place that enables this conversation, strengthens it and gives it the significance it deserves.
The Karl Dedecius Award Gala at Villa Decius honoured Eliza Borg and Olaf Kühl, celebrating literary translation, Polish-German dialogue and the international circulation of literature.