Main prize for project with fairy tales in South Hessian dialect
The South Hessian Dialect Society has been awarded the main prize of the 2026 Hessian Dialect Prize. The award ceremony took place in Marburg at the end of February. Ingmar Jung, Minister for Home Affairs of the State of Hesse, presented the certificate of achievement.
The chairman, Fritz Ehmke, accepted the award on behalf of the club together with his wife, Dietlinde.
Award for fairy tale project in dialect
“Es woar emol – Märche in Südhessischer Mundart” (It once was – Fairy tales in South Hessian dialect) was recognized . In this project, well-known fairy tales were redesigned as audiobooks and bilingual companion books, recorded by native speakers.
The project is aimed at kindergartens and schools, among others, and also seeks to encourage newly arrived families to learn the regional dialect. Music, illustrations, and a charitable purpose further increase the project's reach.
The proceeds from the sale of the book with audio recording will benefit the association for children with cancer and chronic illnesses in Darmstadt/Rhine-Main-Neckar.
Dialect as part of regional culture
During the award ceremony, a video from the recording studio in Modautal was also shown. In it, children read from the fairytale book and offer insights into the creation of the project.
Teacher Silke Durrer, who co-initiated the project, emphasized the importance of dialect for regional culture. She called on parents and grandparents to pass on their dialect in everyday life.
Prize money for new dialect project
The prize money of 3,000 euros be used for a reprint of the charity dialect book "Grodde unn Lauser G'schischde aus Südhesse"
Information about the project and sales outlets can be found online at:
www.gebabbel-suedhessen.de
(RED/PM/Ehmke)
