The Maria Sibylla Merian Award, with prize money of €15,000 in total is aimed at aspiring female artists and scientists. €7,500 each is available for the realization of a printed work that is to receive special attention.
The award will be presented every two years starting in 2025.
The deadline for submissions for this year's award is August 31, 2025.
This artist and naturalist, who grew up in Frankfurt and spent the second half of her life working in Amsterdam, belongs to the circle of people who significantly shaped our current worldview in Western societies during the Enlightenment. With her talents and interests, she embodies a unity of art and science that is rarely found elsewhere. The focus is on acquiring knowledge based on one's own observations, descriptions, and interpretations. Even today, these are still basic prerequisites for scientific work.
Maria Sibylla Merian is much better known for her art, which is particularly evident in her paintings. In addition, she produced three printed works on flowers, caterpillars, and the metamorphosis of South American insects. The Wiesbaden collections contain the original specimens that she observed as one of the first naturalist travelers in Suriname. From 2025, the Museum Wiesbaden is the only museum dedicated to her work with a permanent exhibition in the entrance hall to the natural history collections.
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The shared origin of art and science is the observation and description of nature. The Museum Wiesbaden places particular emphasis on these two aspects of a worldview that promotes creativity and generates knowledge through personal discovery. This also fosters a more respectful approach to our environment. Especially in today's world, this offers an opportunity to treat our environment with greater care and to change our course. Those who explore things will not destroy them.
Maria Sibylla Merian stands like no other for the scientific and artistic exploration of her environment, combined with a deeper gain in knowledge. She is therefore the ideal patron for the prize awarded here. This prize is intended to help promote knowledge and creativity and to raise awareness of the pressing issues of today.
In particular, the prize money is intended to promote original publications by female scientists and artists, which will thus receive greater attention. Works that deal with the description of the world in a special way from an artistic and scientific perspective, thus continuing Merian's legacy, should be consideredConnection to the Alfred Weigle FoundationConnection to the Alfred Weigle Foundation
During his lifetime, Mr. Alfred Weigle supported the Museum Wiesbaden in many ways. His interests in Wiesbaden, art, and natural science, which he had experienced during his career as a printmaker, came together in this support. His numerous visits to the museum were marked by his desire to discover the unity of art and science, and it was important to him to promote this unity.
One of his most important projects was the promotion of the printing of a special book on Maria Sibylla Merian by the Alfred Weigle Foundation. Conceived and implemented by Dutch artist Joos van de Plas, Alfred Weigle explored the connection between art and science in a unique way and engaged with it. The result is still being traded and discussed today.
As someone with a particular interest in printing, Alfred Weigle greatly appreciated Merian's work. The original edition of Merian's Metamorphosis in the library of the Natural History Collection became one of his favorites and he examined it repeatedly. The uncolored copperplate engravings offered him an opportunity to compare his professional experience with the work of Merian's workshop.
From this perspective, it can be assumed that it would have been in Alfred Weigle's interest to use his legacy in the form of the foundation to establish a Merian Award.Former use
Between 1994 and 2009, the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art awarded prize money totaling DM 15,000.00 to female visual artists in Hesse.
Between 1998 and 2005, a prize of the same name was also awarded by the Essen College for Gender Studies to outstanding female scientists, particularly in the natural sciences, technical sciences, and medicine.
Applications should be sent to the management of the Museum Wiesbaden. If you have any questions, please contact the heads of the art department, Dr. Jörg Daur, and the natural history collections, Dr. Hannes Lerp, at any time.
Prof. Dr. Susanne Foitzik (University of Mainz)
Dr. Beate Kemfert (Opelvillen in Rüsselsheim)
