 These prizes are each worth 5,500 euros.The award ceremony usually takes place on January 21, the eve of Lessing's birthday (January 22, 1729), as part of the celebrations organized by the Lessing Museum in his native town of Kamenz.The award builds on the tradition of the Lessing Prize of the GDR , which was awarded from 1955 to 1989 by the Ministry of Culture of the GDR.