Excluded Bremen bookstore plasters facade with culture minister's own quotes in prize row
After being dropped from a state-funded book prize, the Golden Shop in Bremen has covered its facade with statements by Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer, who had called excluded stores "enemies of the state".
Exclusion sparks uproar
Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer struck the Golden Shop and two other bookstores from the 2026 German Bookstore Prize list, stating that taxpayer money must not go to "enemies of the state." The reason for the exclusion was never made public, triggering sharp criticism from opposition politicians and the cultural sector. The planned award ceremony at the Leipzig Book Fair was subsequently cancelled.
The taxpayer-funded prize must not go to enemies of the state.
The three excluded shops have now taken the matter to court, seeking insight into the selection process.
A satirical facade
This weekend, Bremen artist Sönke Lühring transformed the Golden Shop’s exterior with a yellow fabric banner bearing Weimer’s own statements, such as "Das ist überhaupt nicht als Kulturkampf gedacht" (This is not at all intended as a culture war) and "Europa vermehrt sich nicht mehr biologisch" (Europe is no longer reproducing biologically). The window display features a gold-framed portrait of the minister alongside his book "Das konservative Manifest."
Hello Weimi. Do you like our new facade better? We love you and your intellectual outpourings. Please give prize.
The bookstore posted photos of the makeover on Instagram with the same message, addressing the minister with the diminutive "Weimi."
The contentious slogan
During the debate, criticism was directed at a pre-existing slogan on the bookstore’s wall: "Deutschland verrecke bitte" (Germany, please perish). The phrase is a lyric by punk band Slime; a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court established that it refers to Heinrich Heine’s 1844 poem "Die Schlesischen Weber" and is thereby protected. The slogan remained in place alongside the new Weimer quotes.
Legal challenge ongoing
Alongside the satirical protest, the legal dispute continues. The Golden Shop and the two other excluded stores, located in Berlin and Göttingen, are fighting in court to gain access to the prize’s selection procedures. The ministry has not disclosed what material led to the "enemy of the state" classification.
