Bookstore "Golden Shop" Responds to Prize Exclusion with Weimer Quotes on Its Facade

The shop window has also been redesigned with a gold-framed portrait of the minister and his works such as "Das konservative Manifest." The shop had previously drawn attention to itself with the inscription "Deutschland verrecke bitte," a quote from the punk band Slime, which, following a decision by the Federal Constitutional Court, refers to the 1844 poem "Die Schlesischen Weber" by Heinrich Heine.

Attack with a Wink on Instagram

The bookstore published photos of the new facade and shop window on Instagram with a caption addressed directly to Weimer. It reads: "Hallo Weimi. Gefällt dir unsere neue Fassade* besser? Wir lieben dich und deine intellektuellen Ergüsse. Bitte gib Preis." With "Weimi," the owners address the Minister of State for Culture using a familiar form of his surname.

Background: Dispute Over the Bookstore Prize

The background to the conflict is the exclusion of the "Golden Shop" as well as two other bookstores in Berlin and Göttingen from the circle of winners of the 2026 German Bookstore Prize. The prize, funded by tax revenue, should not go to "enemies of the state," it was said at the time. Weimer later justified the decision in an interview by referring to political extremists, without providing evidence.

It never became publicly known what the complaints against the three shops were. This prompted sharp criticism from the opposition and from the cultural sector. The planned award ceremony at the Leipzig Book Fair was cancelled. The three bookstores are fighting in court for insight into the award procedure.

The Conflict in the Bremen District

The "Golden Shop" is located in the Bremer Viertel, a district known for its vibrant, left-leaning scene. With its provocative facade, the shop has attracted nationwide attention in the past. The Slime line "Deutschland verrecke bitte" is not chosen at random: the Federal Constitutional Court had classified the band as an artistic interpretation of Heine's 1844 poem "Die Schlesischen Weber."

Wolfram Weimer is independent and holds the office of Minister of State for Culture. He personally had the three bookstores removed from the list of winners. He has so far failed to provide a justification with concrete evidence.

With its new design, the bookstore stages a mixture of mockery and campaigning for the prize. The gold-framed portrait and the ironic Instagram message also make clear that the dispute over the state award is not yet over.