“Printing Art Day”

March 15 and March 21, 2026

February 25, 2026

Lorena Pradal's HfG printing workshop receives two lithographic presses from our stored inventory (Hessian State Museum in Darmstadt)!

February 16, 2026

Manfred Hügelow's printing press is moving!

Our board member Eckhard Gehrmann and Dominik Gussmann, head of the printing workshop, were here (House of City History):

December 5th to 7th of 2025

Litho Days III in Türkiye – Ankara  by Barbara Wilhelmi (Internationale Senefelder Foundation)

Lithography is on the rise all over the world! This statement by the famous lithographer Erich Mönch was displayed on the wall of the printing center in Tübingen in the 1970s, and even then it seemed like an ironic remark. At Litho Days III in Turkey in December 2025, this statement became reality, as the Duo Printstudio, comprised of Doḡu Gündoḡdu und Naz Önen, hosted a lithography event in Turkey for the third time, following previous events in 2021 and 2023 and they relied on the contacts they had also made at the International Lithography Colloquium of the International Senefelder Foundation in April 2024.

This year, the Dou Printstudio once again presented a rich program in Ankara:

It began with a visit to the magnificent exhibition "Separation and Merging Point" (PHOTO 1) in the Anafartalar Shopping Mall, No.203. The exhibition, curated by the renowned Eda Berkmen, featuring lithographs by various artists, printed by the Dou Printstudio (Edition III). The workshop could be visited on the morning of December 6, the lithographers' day (PHOTO 2). The panel discussion of Litho Days III began that same afternoon: “DISCUSSING THE SUSTAINABILITY WITH ROOTED LITHOGRAPHY STUDIOS” (PHOTO 3) with printmakers Christian Bramsen (Atelier Clot, Paris), Jan Pelkofer + Paul Klös (Tabor Presse Berlin, Germany), Kapser Fleng + Julie Peter Hjörring (Grafisk Värksted, Denmark), Mikkjal Matras Andersson (Steinprent, Faroe Islands), and Louise Aakermann Nielsen (Bornholm) – moderated by Naz Önen (Dou Printstudio). The discussion focused on the relationship between professional printers in different workshops and the artists, and the aspects of professional printmaking that, in one way or another, realize the artists' visions. Quality assurance at a high lithographic level was discussed, as were distribution and networking among the printers to develop future perspectives. The question was discussed whether prints should have the status of originals and whether the pricing would change accordingly (PHOTO 4).  The transformation is characterized on the one hand by the demise of large printing houses, but on the other hand, there is also the emergence of new small print studios, such as the one in Ankara, and a Turkish artist: Derin Tuksal, leading Derin Print Shop, the collaborative etching studio in Istanbul for four years. Dou Print is currently the only independent collaborative lithography studio. The problem of no longer being able to purchase materials as before is now often solved in unconventional ways through in-house production. For example, a self-made leather printing roller can be admired in Dou's printmaking workshop (PHOTO 5). And there, like a patron saint, hangs a portrait of Alois Senefelder next to Atatürk (PHOTO 6). The Lithodays III panel took place at the Erimtan Archaeological Museum with a temporal exhibition (“Litho Wall–1”) which showcases each time a special selection from Dou Print Studio's collection for three month periods. On the evening of December 6, 2025, reception hosted by the Danish Ambassador, Ole Toft in the Danish Residence. The project was made possible by the support of many cultural and political institutions, such as the Goethe-Institut in Ankara and other local embassies (detailed list below).                                                                                                         

Visiting the Lithodays III was a truly memorable experience for me and I wish all the best for Doḡu Gündoḡdu and Naz Önen and Dou Printstudio in Ankara – with best regards Barbara Wilhelmi 

November 2022

Tender specification:

Since 1975, the Senefelder Prize has been awarded in honor of AloisSenefelder, the inventor of lithography. It is one of the most coveted awards for artistic prints.For the year 2023, the International Senefelder Foundation (ISS), with the support of the Federal Association of Visual Artists (BBK), is once again announcing a competition to honor special achievements in the field of artistic lithography and its further development in planographic printing. In addition to prize money totaling € 2,000, an exhibition of works by the prize winners is planned in Offenbach am Main and - if suitable partners can be found - at other locations.

The jury management consists of members of the board of the ISS, as well as representatives of artists of the BBK.

Deadline: April 11, 2023

The award winners will be honored in September 2023 at a public ceremony, which will also be the closing event of the second International Lithography Colloquium in Offenbach am Main.

Accommodation costs and meals for the award winners can be covered after consultation and approval. Within this framework, a subsidy for travel expenses is also possible. The legal process is excluded.

Entrants may submit an artistic work (single or multi-color original print) from the fields of:

1.    Lithography: work on stone

2.    Planographic drawing: work on metal offset plate or foil

3.    Mixed printing: further development to 1. and 2. or to other experimental forms of flat printing

The submitted work can be produced by hand press or motor-driven printing press, photomechanical or screened reproductions or digital prints are not allowed. The work must not have been created before 2020, it must be submitted without a frame. The format must not exceed 100 x 70 cm, a brief description of the working technique used should be included.

In the first stage, the works are to be sent in digital form (jpg) to: Email: [email protected] 

For this purpose, an information sheet is available for download on the ISS homepage www.senefelderstiftung.com.

The jury will nominate the finalists from the group of applicants for the second stage. They will then be asked to send in the original works. From these, the jury will select the first three prizewinners in the summer of 2023. As in previous competitions, the submitted works will not be returned; the nominated works will be integrated into the ISS collection. This has already resulted in one of the most important collections of lithographs, which is located in the House of City History of the City of Offenbach.

September 2023

Honoring the winners

The international lithography competition announced by the International Senefelder Foundation ISS has been decided. Three main prizes were awarded on June 26, 2023, which will be publicly presented on September 9, 2023 at the Kunstverein Offenbach/Main, Germany as part of an exhibition.
There were a total of 27 finalist works from 157 submissions from all parts of the world. The artistic value, technical skill and innovation of the lithographs were evaluated. All finalist works will be exhibited and then transferred to the ISS lithography collection, which is unique in the world.
From the jury's point of view, it was remarkable "that a predominantly large number of high-quality contributions were submitted; an impressive cross-section of current global work with lithographic printing techniques was shown."

Note: The International Senefelder Award 2023 is sponsored by the Rotary Club Offenbach/Main. The jury sessions took place in the Print Technology Center of ISS sponsoring member manroland Sheetfed GmbH in Offenbach/Main. The organization of the proper execution of the competition was in the hands of Dr. Volker Dorsch, ISS office manager.

On September 9, 2023, lithographers Aron Herdrich, Herman Noordermeer and Cordelia Heymann were honored as the winners of the 13th Senefelder Award 2023 during an exhibition at Kunstverein Offenbach.

Out of 154 submitted international applications, 29 works were shortlisted. The decision was made at the second jury meeting on June 26, 2023:

June 16, 2022

 Lithography workshop in the printing workshop in the Bernardbau with Peter Paulus:

15 March 2021

Eckhard Gehrmann demonstrates the printing of a lithograph of a stone on a Krause Reiber press in the printing workshop in the Bernardbau. This is followed by the printing of a linocut on the FAG Standard 510 TP (Philipp Hennevogl).

December 10, 2020:

The first comments on the award ceremony 2020:

December 6, 2020:

Professor Dr. Kilger, Chairman of the Senefelder Foundation, honours the winners of the Senefelder Award 2020:

September 7, 2020:

July 26, 2020:

The jury for the Senefelder Award 2020 will meet on

September 7, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.

The award winners will be recognized on December 6, 2020 in the Haus der Stadtgeschichte in Offenbach.

May 3, 2020:

January 12, 2020:

Alois Senefelder and his eponymous foundation from Offenbach received worldwide feedback. Applications were submitted from 23 countries. Germany, Poland, Russia, Thailand and Argentina were very strongly represented:

New year greeting from Prof. Ingrid Ledent:

January 22, 2019:

For the year 2020, the International Senefelder Foundation (ISS), with the support of the Federal Association of Visual Artists (BBK), is once again announcing a competition honoring outstanding Achievements in the field of artistic lithography and its further development in lithographic printing.

Deadline: 31. October 2019!

Contemplative Christmas holidays and a prosperous New Year 2019!

On behalf of the Board and the Advisory Board of the International Senefelder Foundation Offenbach, I send you the holiday wishes again with a graphic of the "College of Design" in Offenbach, which Pia Graf has made.

Volker Dorsch, ISS and FISS

                 Visit of the "International Senefelder Foundation Offenbach"
                                         in Eichstätt (13/14 October 2018)

Li Portenlänger from the Lithography Workshop Eichstätt invited a tour group from the International Senefelder Foundation in Offenbach on the weekend to get to know the medium of lithography on site and up close in the Mörnsheim quarries, in the Mayor-Müller-Museum Solnhofen and in their workshop.

Her enthusiastic tour was supported by top-class advice from Mr. Vogg, the last stone worker in the "Finishing of the litho stone" at SSG Maxberg and Dr. Ing. Viohl, the former head of the Jura Museum.

For more than 40 years, the International Senefelder Foundation Offenbach has been committed to promoting internationally active lithographers and every three years to the awarding of the prestigious Senefelder Prizes. Here, the litho stone, which is mined in Solnhofen plays an outstanding role. Due to the fine grain, it has a unique selling point; i.e. since the invention of lithography by Aloys Senefelder (around 18oo), all lithographers who pay attention to quality worldwide rely on the stone from the Solnhofen / Mörnsheim mines.

Dr. Viohl has informed the friends of the Senefelder Foundation with his lively lectures about the origin of the "Flinze" (limestone layers), their exclusively manual work based mining and the initially arduous transport of the sometimes over 200kg heavy stones by rail and ship all over the world.
Despite the arduous work, the litho stone of the originally poor Jura region has helped to bring about a degree of prosperity.
The documentation of this exciting success story was presented to the litho friends in the Bürgermeister-Müller-Museum.

Ms. Portenlänger did not miss the opportunity to visit her lithographic workshop, which is regularly visited by important lithographers for her own work and now shows works from the last 20 years, the historic old town of Eichstätt with the lithobegeisterten friends from Offenbach.

Text:        Dr. Volker Dorsch
Pictures: Dr. Volker Dorsch, Dr. Harry Ness

Dear friends of lithography,
I am pleased to inform you that the "Artistic Printing Techniques of High Pressure, Intaglio, Flat Printing, Puncture and Their Mixed Forms" were included in the Nationwide List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in March 2018 by resolution of the German UNESCO Commission. I forward the mail of the "Museum of Druckkunst Leipzig" to you.
The enthusiasm of lithographers for lithography, which was felt at the Colloquium in Offenbach in December, has now been confirmed by the UNESCO Commission.

(Volker Dorsch)

On March 6, 2018, after 16 years, Mr. Martin Lange hands over the chairmanship of the Advisory Board of the International Senefelder Foundation to Mr. Gert Kaiser:

Martin Lange: Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.
A blessed creation for the print-art!

The International Senefelder Foundation wishes all friends of lithography

a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

International colloquium of the lithographers on the 5th and 6th of December 2017:

(OFFENBACH POST, 6.12.2017)

Invitation to the IADM Annual General Meeting on 9 November 2017