Federal Cross of Merit for Heide-Marie Härtel. Honoured for her life’s work in the field of dance and dance film

On 7 March 2025, Heide-Marie Härtel, founder and long-standing artistic director of the German Dance Film Institute Bremen, was awarded the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Federal Republic of Germany. Mayor Dr Andreas Bovenschulte presented her with the award in the Senate Hall of Bremen City Hall, honouring her outstanding services to the preservation and dissemination of the cultural heritage of dance.

Heide-Marie Härtel studied classical and modern dance in Cologne and was employed as a dancer at the Bremen Theatre from 1971. Since the late 1970s, she has dedicated herself to the documentation and mediation of dance film. In 1989, together with Susanne Schlichter, she founded the German Dance Film Institute Bremen. With over 40,000 media, it is now one of the most important archives for dance film in Europe.

In his laudatory speech, Mayor Bovenschulte emphasised:
“Over the past 35 years, Heide-Marie Härtel has made a significant contribution to preserving and passing on the cultural heritage of dance through her many years of work in the field of dance film. With tireless dedication and a special feeling for the importance of dance, she has provided important impulses that reach far beyond national borders.”

In addition to her work as a producer and director, Heide-Marie Härtel initiated European projects to network dance archives and was involved in the umbrella organisation Tanz Deutschland. She has already received the 2021 German Dance Award for her life’s work. The team of the German Dance Film Institute warmly congratulates Heide-Marie Härtel on this well-deserved award.