“Austria’s Most Beautiful Books”: State Prize and awards for alumnae and teaching staff of the Angewandte

Among the awardees are the two alumnae of the Department of Communication Design, Laura Besler and Lenka Reschenbach, with their diploma projects: In January 2026, Laura Besler completed her studies with the book project Anders werden — Erzählungen über Trauer. The self-published book received one of three 2025 State Prizes.

Lenka Reschenbach’s diploma thesis from the winter semester 2023/24, Der Patriarchatsindex – Status Quo der Gleichstellung von Mann und Frau in Österreich, was published by Falter Verlag and was selected among the 15 “Austria’s Most Beautiful Books 2025”. Publications by Angewandte faculty members Astrid Seme (“Wotruba International” and Rotting Sounds) and Nikolaus Gansterer (Contingent Agencies – Inquiring into the Emergence of Atmospheres) were also recognised in this year’s competition.

About the publications
Anders werden
Erzählungen über Trauer
Award: State Prize 2025
Category: Special productions
Publisher: Self-published
Design: Laura Besler
Printer: Thurnher Druckerei GmbH

Der Patriarchatsindex
Status Quo der Gleichstellung von Mann und Frau in Österreich
Award: One of Austria’s Most Beautiful Books 2025
Category: General non-fiction, cookery and advice books, regional and historical illustrated books
Publisher: Falter Verlag
Design: Falter Verlag / Lenka Reschenbach
Printer: Florjančič tisk
ISBN: 978-3-99166-026-2

Wotruba International
Award: One of Austria’s Most Beautiful Books 2025
Category: Contemporary art books, photographic art, architecture, exhibition catalogues
Publisher: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther & Franz König
Design: Astrid Seme
Printer: Gerin Buch
ISBN: 978-3-7533-0899-9

Rotting Sounds
Subject to inevitable erosion.
Award: One of Austria’s Most Beautiful Books 2025
Category: Special productions
Publisher: Mark Pezinger Books
Design: Astrid Seme, Studio
Printer: Simsa GmbH
ISBN: 978-3-903353-17-6

Contingent Agencies
Inquiring into the Emergence of Atmospheres
Award: One of Austria’s Most Beautiful Books 2025
Category: Academic publications, textbooks and schoolbooks
Publisher: Hatje Cantz Verlag
Editors: Alex Arteaga & Nikolaus Gansterer
Design: Marie Artaker and Alexandra Möllner
Printer: Gugler Medien GmbH
ISBN: 978-3-7757-5903-8

The State Prize “Austria’s Most Beautiful Books”
From 138 submissions, a specialist jury with representatives from publishing, the book trade, design and printing selects 15 winning titles each year as Austria’s most beautiful books. The BMWKMS also awards three publications from the 15 winning titles with State Prizes of EUR 3,000 each.
The award-winning titles are expected to be on view in December 2026 as part of the exhibition “The Most Beautiful Books from Seven Nations – Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Czechia, Ukraine” at the Vienna Main Library, and will be presented at international fairs such as the Leipzig Book Fair, the Frankfurt Book Fair and BUCH WIEN 26.

More about the “Austria’s Most Beautiful Books 2025” award