EinDollarBrille receives the Marion Dönhoff Prize 2025
A moment that moves us—and inspires us!
When the Marion Dönhoff Prize was awarded at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg on November 30, 2025, it quickly became clear that this evening belonged to all those whose lives had been changed by a simple pair of glasses — and to all those who made this change possible.
EinDollarBrille receives the Marion Dönhoff Sponsorship Award
EinDollarBrille has been awarded the Marion Dönhoff Prize. For us, this is much more than an honor. It is a sign that our shared vision—that no one should lose their potential because they lack glasses—matters. And it touches people. “EinDollarBrille proves how much integration is possible through simple but effective solutions,” the jury explained its decision.
It is thus honoring a project that has already fundamentally changed the lives of over a million people with a simple idea. The Marion Dönhoff Prize is awarded by DIE ZEIT, the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS, and the Marion Dönhoff Foundation. The main prize goes to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Both awards are endowed with 20,000 euros each.
Eckart von Hirschhausen was delighted to give the laudatory speech for the Erlangen-based association: he has been following the organization's development for years, knows founder Martin Aufmuth personally, and is enthusiastic about the idea, vision, and courage of its founder.
Does seriously combating poverty make us poor?
“Martin, you have a great mission: you want to help people escape poverty,” emphasizes Eckart von Hirschhausen in his laudatory speech. "Does seriously fighting poverty make us poor? No, on the contrary: poor eyesight makes us poor. This stupid handicap causes a global loss of income of 270 billion US dollars every year. [...] Instead of asking what something costs us, we should ask ourselves what it costs us to continue as before. [...] Your superpower is diopters, and your prescription is two lenses and a wire. As ingenious as it is simple. And with this prescription, you make it possible to provide people worldwide with care without a prescription."
Yes, then do something about it!
“What has always preoccupied me since my childhood is the injustice in our world. [...] And during an evening walk, my wife Jelena said to me, ‘Well, then do something about it,’” Martin Aufmuth recounts in his acceptance speech, explaining how he founded EinDollarBrille, which has now distributed over a million pairs of glasses.
“It's not just me, that might come across a bit wrong here. There are lots of volunteers and full-time staff all over Germany. [...] Many thanks to everyone, in Germany but also worldwide,” Aufmuth said, visibly moved. “A big thank you, of course, to everyone involved in this award today, behind the scenes, in front of the stage, in the preparation, the jury, the foundation, ZEIT. It is a great honor for me to accept this award today on behalf of my entire organization.”
When I started in 2010, eyeglasses were an underestimated and neglected issue in development cooperation.
