Austrian Cultural Prizes Highlight Groups in Carinthia and Lower Austria

The Carinthian state awarded a €7,000 recognition prize to the art collective Lendhauer for its ongoing work since 2008 in activating the Lendkanal and Lendhafen as open cultural spaces in Klagenfurt. The group, now called Lendhauer – Contemporary Art and Culture in Public Space, said it will invest the funds in future projects and called for stable public funding amid political and financial uncertainty.

In Lower Austria, the annual Kulturpreise ceremony took place on 22 October 2026 at the Festspielhaus St. Pölten, honoring 24 individuals and organisations across eight categories. Among the awardees, the Waldviertler Heimatbund received an acknowledgement prize, presented by its long‑time president, historian Thomas Winkelbauer, who also serves in the Academy of Sciences. The awards were presented under the auspices of Lower Austrian Governor Johanna Mikl‑Leitner, who highlighted the role of culture in regional identity and quality of life.