press release

Gottfried Böhm Scholarship: New opportunity for architects

Cologne 12th May 2023 - Cologne's Lord Mayor Henriette Reker today gave the starting signal for the first round of applications for the Gottfried Böhm Scholarship. The relatively well-funded scholarship is intended to give postgraduate architects from around the world the chance to spend a year developing a creative and visionary urban planning project for Cologne and the region. With the scholarship, the City of Cologne and the scholarship's sponsors want to honor the Pritzker Prize winner, who passed away in 2021. The application period now runs until August 31 of this year. The scholarship will begin in October 2023.

"Gottfried Böhm has shaped our city with his buildings and through his works, he carried Cologne's building culture into the world. By naming the scholarship after him, we honor the high esteemed Cologne architect for his life's works. Gottfried Böhm combined aspects of urban planning with those of sculpture building and architecture like no other. In this spirit, the scholarship is intended to enable architects of a new generation to deepen their interest in this connection in a focused way and to deal with our city in a creative and visionary way for a year," says Cologne's Lord Mayor Henriette Reker, patroness of the scholarship.

The scholarship holder receives free accommodation for one year, a workplace in a creative environment in the heart of the city – e.g. in the Forum of the Foundation for Art and Architecture – and a monthly grant totaling 2,500 euros. The scholarship is offered and supervised by the Verein der Freunde und Förderer der Technischen Hochschule Köln e.V. "The Faculty of Architecture is of particular importance to the TH Köln. We are therefore pleased to now be able to advertise this scholarship as a sponsor," explains Susanne Fabry, chairwoman of the sponsoring association. "Our goal was to establish a top-class scholarship every two years that would have nationwide appeal for the city of Cologne and the university location of Cologne," adds Prof. Dr. Herzig, President of the TH Köln. "Our thanks go in particular to the donors from business and culture who generously support this scholarship," Chair Fabry emphasizes.

Over the past two years, the City of Cologne and the Böhm family have held intensive talks with a large number of potential supporters and partners in order to secure the Gottfried Böhm Scholarship for the next ten years. "A long-term, high-quality scholarship with international appeal was important to us," emphasizes Prof. Paul Böhm. "Our father always thought long-term and conceived his buildings for the generations after him. He was always interested in new forward-looking developments, even into his old age. We hope that his visionary thinking will inspire future fellows."

The work results produced during the Gottfried Böhm Scholarship will be presented at the end of the scholarship at a reception hosted by the Lord Mayor and then exhibited for two weeks in the Spanish Building.

The following sponsors support the scholarship:

  • Architekturbüro Paul Böhm
  • Friedrich Wassermann Bauunternehmung für Hoch- & Tiefbauten GmbH & Co. KG, represented by CEO Anton Bausinger#
  • HECKER WERNER HIMMELREICH Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft mbB
  • PANDION AG
  • City of Cologne
  • Stiftung für Kunst und Baukultur Britta und Ulrich Findeisen
  • Wolf Immobilien Gruppe

Pictures: Gottfried-Böhm-Stipendium_press_release

Press contact: Thomas Müller, mueller@dieprberater.de, 0049 151 629 09973

Scholarship information

Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Have completed a master's degree in architecture no later than Aug. 31, 2023,
  • Be a non-employee, freelance architect,
  • No longer be enrolled at any university during the period of the scholarship, with the exception of doctoral students,
  • Not have previously completed a postgraduate scholarship,
  • As a non-EU citizen, undertake to ensure that their residence permit does not preclude self-employment for the duration of their stay,
  • Not being in receipt of any other funding scholarship from the City of Cologne in the funding year,
  • Have language skills in German or English, either as a native speaker or with B2-language proficiency.

What must the application contain?

  • Personal data: Name, address, telephone number and e-mail address
  • Proof of identity (identity card, passport document or passport substitute)
  • Letter of motivation (obligatory, 1 page)
  • Curriculum vitae (obligatory, max. 2 pages)
  • Project proposal for a creative, experimental and visionary planning task on urban planning-architectural topics in the city of Cologne and its periphery (obligatory, max. 6 pages)
  • Evidence of urban planning and architectural experience (optional, max. 6 pages)
  • 1-3 letters of recommendation (optional)
  • 1-3 scientific publications on your own work (optional)
  • Your application file to upload, the file name should read:
  • Name_First_Name_Residence_2023.pdf
  • in German or English language

Submission until 31st August .2023, no later than 23:59.