On December 15, the Hannah Arendt Prize was awarded to the journalist and writer Masha Gessen. Shortly before the award ceremony, Masha Gessen published an essay in the New Yorker in which Gessen compared Gaza to a Nazi ghetto, among other things. The board of the Heinrich Böll Foundation then decided not to attend the award ceremony in person and held a public discussion with Masha Gessen on December 18 to discuss the essay and the board's motives. The conversation, moderated by PD Dr. Tamara Or, covered both the decision not to attend the award ceremony and the role and responsibility of the media and foundations in today's culture of remembrance and political debate. Afterwards, the audience had the opportunity to ask questions and take part in the lively discussion.