Overview

• The award was launched by the Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache at the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften with the Berliner Alpha-Bündnisse and the Stiftung Grundbildung Berlin.
• Using 2021–2025 language data, DWDS shortlisted frequently used complex terms, and an eight-person jury from Berlin learning programs chose the winner.
• The announcement was timed to World Literacy Day on 8 September to highlight barriers created by administrative terminology.
• Organizers cite around 6.2 million adults in Germany with reading and writing difficulties, for whom long compound words can obstruct access to forms and services.
• The winning word has 31 letters and 11 syllables and has seen increased usage since 2022, while the initiative currently serves as a symbolic push toward simpler public communication.