BERLIN – November 13, 2026 -- Germany's statutory accident insurer BGW awarded prizes to 16 of 83 entries in its fifth photo competition, "Mensch – Arbeit – Alter", at the Pflegetag in Berlin. That is about 19% of submissions by FairsOnline's calculation, and the jury singled out four of the 16, or 25% of the prize winners.
A jury picked four standout works from 83 submissions
Sarah Paff won first prize for "Was bleibt", five black-and-white studio images about a couple facing the impending loss of one partner. Antine Karla Yzer took second prize for "Fenster zur Hecke", a five-part series on growing old at home.
Tim Kirchhof placed third with "Leben_Kunst in der Hospizarbeit", five staged portraits of hospice and palliative care staff at places they choose for strength. BGW says the series points to the workers' own mental health and resilience. Johannes Gramm received the special prize for the diptych "Altern – zweistufig", a self-portrait paired with a flower still life.
The remaining 12 winning entries range from documentary to abstract, according to BGW. They cover physical strain, time pressure and emotional responsibility, as well as closeness and trust.
Elder care returns as the theme for the second time in five competitions
BGW runs the series every two years and rotates among three topics from the working lives of its insured. Earlier editions covered people with disabilities and childcare staff. Elder care now accounts for two of the five competitions, or 40%.
BGW is responsible for more than 9.6 million insured people in over 690,000 companies. BGW Managing Director Jörg Schudmann said the work of caring for older people demands competent, empathetic help that also preserves the independence of those cared for. He described the photos as a reminder to value care work and to support the people who do it.
The exhibition stays at Wittenbergplatz Nord until 2 December, then tours Germany
The prize ceremony also opens the exhibition of the winning works. It runs at Wittenbergplatz Nord in Berlin until 2 December. A nationwide tour follows, and BGW says it will list dates as they are planned on its competition website. The insurer did not name any tour stops or start dates.