Abramović and Kiefer Join Pour le Mérite Order

Marina Abramović (79) and Anselm Kiefer (81) have been elected as new members of the prestigious Pour le Mérite order for sciences and arts. The announcement was made by German Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer and the order. At a meeting in late May, economist Ernst Fehr (70) and legal scholar Angelika Nußberger (63) were also named as new members. All four have accepted the election. The formal induction ceremony will take place in late May of the following year at the Konzerthaus Berlin. The order, founded in the 19th century by Prussian King Frederick William IV, currently has about 80 members from Germany and abroad, including many Nobel laureates. Its patron is German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Weimer praised the new members for shaping science and setting global standards in contemporary art. The order is financed and administratively supported by Weimer's office (BKM).