Nobel. Michael Worek

the end of the 19th century, Alfred Nobel recognized the pressing need for humanity to develop its medical knowledge, products and procedures. He had himself suffered from ill health for much of his life and experienced the primitive help available at the time. Accordingly, he specified in his will that a prize was to be set aside for this field, and in 1901 the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was conferred by the Karolinska Institute. The first winner was the German Emil von Behring, who was distinguished for his “work on serum therapy, especially its application against diphtheria, by which he has opened a new road in the domain of medical science and thereby placed in the hands of the physician a victorious weapon against illness and death.”

      The difficult mission of choosing up to three people annually for this prize is still in the hands of the Karolinska Institute, located in Solna, just outside Stockholm. It initially entrusted the selection process of the nominees to its teaching staff, but nowadays the Nobel Assembly of the Karolinska Institute is composed of 50 elected members of the Faculty of Medicine.

      The organization continues to train doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, speech therapists and toxicologists. It also maintains a strong academic research department responsible for nearly 40 percent of such work in the country. According to the 2007 Academic Ranking of World Universities, it is the best such department in the country and 11th in Europe. Besides its close ties to the Nobel Foundation, the institute also preserves valuable relationships with the Swedish government and health organizations, businesses and other universities worldwide.

      Swedish Academy

      Since 1901 the Swedish Academy has had the responsibility of attributing the Nobel Prize in Literature. The academy was established in 1786 by King Gustaf III. He personally wrote most of its statutes, having been inspired by the French Academy; he also conferred on the institution its motto, “Snille och smak” (Talent and good taste). The main objective drawn up for the academy by Gustaf III was to work for the “purity, vigor and majesty” of the Swedish language. In the monarch’s understanding, the academy had a patriotic duty to elevate the country’s language and literature, as well as commemorate great national events of the past.

      With the turn of the century, and after much debate, the academy accepted a task that was not a part of its initial mandate: to spend a considerable portion of its capacities to annually attribute the Nobel Prize in Literature. Erik Axel Karlfeldt, who, during the time he was permanent secretary between 1913 and 1931, revitalized and modernized the Swedish Academy, opened its doors to new writers and electing the first woman to its team.

      Norwegian Nobel Committee

      In accordance with the wishes of Alfred Nobel, the laureates for the Nobel Peace Prize are chosen by an independent committee composed of five people elected by the Norwegian Parliament and have been since 1901. These vague directions, however, have been controversial and sparked some degree of change.

      The challenge for the Norwegian Nobel Committee is to be impartial in their decisions; many claim that this was far from true in the early years, when most members selected by Parliament were influential politicians. Over the decades this committee has also achieved a certain status, since it does not work in the favor of public opinion or political authorities.

      In contrast to the other categories, the Nobel Peace Prize can be attributed to institutions and organizations as well as individuals. The Norwegian Nobel Committee does not receive outside orders of any nature and, in accordance with the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, should not reveal anything that takes place within the meetings that lead to the selection of the laureates. To such ends, the members do not take part in the debates that follow the announcement of the decision.

      The Norwegian Nobel Institute was created in 1904 and, in 1905, it moved into a classic mansion in the centre of Oslo. At the time the site was completely renovated, and the Nobel Foundation was criticized for spending too much money on the work. The main obligation of the Norwegian Nobel Institute is to support to the Norwegian Nobel Committee during the selection process of laureates, as well as to organize events in Oslo dedicated to the Nobel Peace Prize.

      As a way of showing its status as the center of knowledge related to peace and world questions in general, the institute has created a library with approximately 175,000 volumes. The works available in the library are principally concerned with peace, international relations, law, economics and political history. The library is open to the public and has a pleasant reading room. The institute also organizes seminars, meetings and conferences with specialists from around the world.

      They laugh at me, the man of dynamite as a man of peace. But, since men don’t listen to reason, it is necessary to invent an instrument of death which, through fear, will make Humanity move to peace. — Alfred Nobel

Selected Profiles of Nobel Laureates

      Sully Prudhomme (1839–1907)

      1901 Literature

      In special recognition of his poetic composition, which gives evidence of lofty idealism, artistic perfection and a rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect.

      René François Armand Prudhomme, better known by his literary pseudonym Sully Prudhomme, did not begin his career with the world of letters in mind. The son of a storekeeper, he intended to study science and enrolled in a polytechnic institute. An eye disease, however, forced him to change his plans. The disappointed young Frenchman soon turned to literature and took pleasure in the study, recording his thoughts and reading avidly. Nevertheless, Prudhomme was not able to make a living from his writing, so he accepted a clerical position in a factory. Understandably dissatisfied, he left the factory in 1860, determined to study law, and he soon began working in a lawyer’s office.

      During this time he was a member of the distinguished student society “Conférence La Bruyère,” and it was here that Prudhomme heard the first words of encouragement for his literary pursuits. In 1865, at just 26, he published his first work, Stances et poèmes (Stanzas and Poems), a collection of fluent, melancholic poems inspired by a passionate dissatisfaction with life. Sainte-Beuve, a writer and influential French literary critic, gave the book a favorable review, which helped Prudhomme’s reputation. One of these early poems, “Le vase brisé” (“The Broken Vase”), remains popular today.

      In 1866 Les Épreuves (Trials) was published and, three years, later came Les Solitudes. These works, similar in style and content to Stances et poèmes, are dominated by romanticism and emotionalism. It was not long, however, before this early lyrical phase of his writing evolved. This change is credited to the influence of the Parnassian school, of which he would go on to become a preeminent member. Presenting philosophical concepts in verse dominated Prudhomme’s latter poetical works, particularly La Justice (Justice, published in 1878) and Le Bonheur (Happiness, 1888).

      Prudhomme’s literary career was characterized by intense activity, as can be seen by his vast bibliography. Besides his best-known works listed above, he wrote Croquis italiens (Italian Notebook, 1866-68), Impressions de la guerre (Impressions of War, 1870), Les Destins (Destinies, 1872), La Révolte des fleurs (Revolt of the Flowers, 1872), La France (1874), Les vaines tendresses (Vain Endearments, 1875) and many others.

      In 1881, aged 42, Sully Prudhomme was elected a member of the prestigious French Academy, which demonstrated his peers’ respect and admiration for him. His highest level of recognition came when he was awarded the 1901 Nobel Prize in Literature.

      Jean Henry Dunant (1828–1910)

      1901 Peace