Die Frau als Mensch: Am Anfang der Geschichte (The Woman as Human: At the Beginning of History) by Ulli Lust has won the €25,000 (about $28,820) 2025 German Nonfiction Prize, sponsored by the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (the German book trade association).
The jury wrote: "The strong woman as a human being. In her knowledgeable and imaginative nonfiction book on the beginnings of humanity, between evolution and culture, Ulli Lust shows that the role of women in human history has remained largely invisible. The long-prevalent view of humanity as a man is in need of fundamental revision, and this book demonstrates this through an original interweaving of scientific findings from archeology, anthropology, and art history, repeatedly inspired by everyday experiences. With this multifaceted approach, Ulli Lust is able to break down entrenched notions. This also applies to the genre of nonfiction, which is beautifully expanded through the virtuoso combination of image and word."