The goal of the special photo contest “Focus on Europe’s Places of Peace” is to capture the uniqueness of more than 200 places of peace in Europe through images and portraits.
A place is designated as a “place of peace” if, at some point in its history, a peace treaty was concluded at that very location. This list includes not only Münster, Osnabrück, Basel, Augsburg, Dresden, Paris, and Nice, but also places such as Altranstädt, Wermsdorf, Oschatz, Rostock, Templin, and numerous other towns and villages, both large and small, across the European continent.
This year, Eilenburg in Saxony is celebrating the 380th anniversary of the Peace of Eilenburg (1646–2026).
The Kingdom of Sweden signed the Peace of Eilenburg with Electoral Saxony at Eilenburg City Hall on March 31, 1646. To mark this occasion, the Eilenburg Tourism and Commerce Association (Tourismus- und Gewerbeverein Eilenburg e. V.) has launched the international photo contest “Focus on Europe’s Places of Peace.”
With the second event—this year’s 150th anniversary of August Sander’s birth—attention is also turning to the multifaceted subject of portraiture.
Directing the photographic focus on Europe’s significant historical experience of ending armed conflicts through a treaty is more important than ever, given the existence of numerous “places of peace” and their relevance today. In particular, we would also like to encourage the people living in these places of peace—or those who visit them—to show their faces.
There are virtually no limits to artistic expression. Black-and-white works, photomontages, or photographs with strong contrasts in color and brightness are just as welcome as conceptual approaches or works that focus on the essentials.
The submitted entries will be used exclusively for the purposes of the photo contest, including its marketing, promotion, and documentation.
A maximum of three photographs may be submitted across three categories. These are Portrait (Capture yourself and others at the site of the peace treaty.), Peace Site (Capture the site of the peace treaty.), and Free Theme: Peace Treaty (Creatively interpret the theme of the peace treaty at your peace site.).
Grand Prizes:
1st Prize: 400.00 euros
2nd Prize: 300.00 euros
3rd Prize: 200.00 euros
Application Deadline: The deadline for submissions is July 29, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.