The cartoonist Maxim Seehagen has thanked Chancellor Friedrich Merz on 11 November 2026 for inspiring his drawings. The man from Northeim received an award in Dresden on 8 November Dresden for a cartoon featuring the CDU politician. Seehagen said his thanks were meant humorously: the Chancellor’s remarks gave him material for satirical criticism.
The award-winning cartoon is titled “A Restless Night”. It shows a man lying in bed at night while a figure recognisable as Merz shouts at him. The caricature combines an everyday situation with the image of a politician jolting a citizen out of his sleep. The German Cartoon Prize named Seehagen its best emerging cartoonist. The award is worth €1,000.
In an NDR report on 11 November, Seehagen explained that Merz repeatedly features in his work. He cited debates about work ethic and sick notes, among other things, as sources of inspiration. His remark about the Chancellor was not an expression of political support, but referred to his suitability as a subject for satire.
Seehagen says he researches newspapers and online media every day. He then turns news and events into cartoons. He uses humour to portray even unpleasant events in a way that can make people laugh. He publishes a series of his works on Instagram under the title “The Week in Cartoons”.
The prize was presented at the 27th edition of the competition at the Schauspielhaus in Dresden. This year’s theme was “Ready for Therapy”. The Golden Winged Pencil went to Jan Klocke for “Tumour Therapy”. Leonard Riegel won silver with “Merz Wanderer”, Teresa Backmund and bronze with “Career Changer”. Riegel’s cartoon also features the Chancellor; according to MDR, the jury saw it as a symbol of the state of federal politics.
Seehagen was born in Bad Gandersheim in 1999. According to MDR, he works full-time for the district of Northeim in digitalisation; his cartoons have appeared in newspapers, books and online since 2023. He had previously received the Munich Comic Prize for a comic series.
The award-winning works are part of an exhibition about the competition, which opened in Dresden on 9 November and, according to the organisers, runs until 21 February 2027. Another exhibition in Bremen is scheduled to run from 24 November 2026 to 5 February 2027. Visitors can also vote for the 2026 Audience Award, according to MDR. Seehagen had already told NDR what he planned to do with his prize money: buy new pens.
Editor: Celestina Fuentes (Article created with AI assistance).