The competition was held for the first time in 1983, initially on an annual basis and later every two years. In 2025, the competition will enter its 27th round.

The competition began at the Wissenschaftszentrum Bonn, moved to the Bonner Kunstverein a few years later and was held at the Bundeskunsthalle with the 12th edition of the competition in 1994. 11 art academies initially took part, today all state-recognized academies, colleges and universities that are members of the 'Die Kunsthochschulen' forum are involved.

The competition began with an overall exhibition of all the nominees and later developed into an exhibition dedicated to the winners.