Every year in January, the Obermayer Foundation and Widen the Circle (USA) present the Obermayer Awards in the Berlin House of Representatives. They are awarded to citizens who voluntarily make an outstanding contribution to preserving the memory of the Jewish past in their hometowns. The award was established in 2000 by Dr Arthur S. Obermayer and his wife. The Obermayer Awards honour people and organisations in Germany who have worked creatively and selflessly to raise awareness of Jewish history and culture in their communities and to combat anti-Semitism. The award winners are committed to reconciliation by building close relationships with former Jewish neighbours and their descendants and passing on history to new generations. Their activities range from educational programmes, exhibitions and public events to the restoration of synagogues and cemeteries and the initiation of Holocaust memorials and stumbling blocks. The award ceremony in Berlin is supported by the Berlin House of Representatives and co-financed by the Leo Baeck Institute (New York).