Petrarca-Preis is a European literary award named after the Italian Renaissance poet Francesco Petrarca or Petrarch. It was founded in 1975 by German art historian and publisher Hubert Burda, and is primarily designed for contemporary European poets, but also epicists appear in the list of laureates, as well as some occasional non-European. The award was first distributed over a twenty year period (1975-95). Then it was followed for a decade (1999-2009) instead by a Hermann-Lenz-Preis, and resumed in 2010. The first jury consisted of fluxus participant Bazon Brock, poets Michael Krüger and Nicolas Born, and novelist Peter Handke. When the prize resumed in 2010, Peter Handke and Michael Krüger still were in the jury, together with the authors Alfred Kolleritsch (himself awarded in 1978) and Peter Hamm. "We want to support a national and regional culture in Europe," founder Hubert Burda initially said at the 2011 awards. Explicit goal is to watch out all over Europe for authors, who give a distinctive voice to their prevailing culture. [1] Petrarca-Preis consists of 20 000 € and it can be shared between several winners. The ceremony is usually held in places which Francesco Petrarch at some point visited.