The Peace Prize Medal by Gustav Vigeland The Nobel Peace Prize [The Peace Prize shall be awarded] to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses. - from the will of Alfred Nobel Through his will, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel directed that his $9-million estate be used to establish "... a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind" (excerpt from his will). The original five awards are given to those who have made the most important discoveries or inventions in the fields of physics, chemistry, and medicine; the most distinguished literary work of an idealistic nature; and the most effective work in the interest of international peace. Nobel Prizes are awarded each year to those people who, regardless of ethnicity or nationality, have made the most valuable contributions to the good of all mankind. The Nobel Peace Prize was first presented in 1901 by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. This committee is elected by the Norwegian Storting (parliament). By the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation, the prize-awarding bodies shall present to each prize-winner the monetary amount of the prize, a diploma, and a gold medal with the appropriate inscription. In 1996, the value of the prize was about $1,100,000. Anywhere from one to three people may be nominated in writing for and awarded the Peace Prize because of related or joint works. These new Nobel laureates receive their awards during a ceremony on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in the town hall of Oslo, Norway. During some years prizes may not be awarded or may be awarded in a later year due to wars and conflicts or lack of momentous works of peace. The Peace Prize Medal by Gustav Vigeland Since the Peace Prize Medal was designed independently from the other Nobel Medals, the face (right) shows Alfred Nobel in a different pose from the others. The inscription, however is the same as the other Nobel Prize Medals, and includes Alfred Nobel's name and the years of Nobel's life and death presented in a Latin format: NAT - MDCCCXXXIII  OB - MDCCCXCVI. The reverse of the Peace Medal (above) represents a group of three men forming a fraternal bond. The inscription reads: Pro pace et fraternitate gentium, which translated is "For the peace and brotherhood of men." Prix Nobel de la Paix, the relevant year, and the name of the Laureate are engraved on the edge of the medal.

Alfred Bernhard Nobel
Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden on 21. October 1833 and lived until 10. December 1896 when he died at his home in Italy. Nobel grew as a scholar of chemistry, and as a scholar of both the literary and philosophical disciplines. As a young man he was educated in St. Petersburg, Russia and traveled widely and became fluent in multiple foreign languages. As a chemist and industrialist he invented dynamite. Through his will Nobel established the Nobel Prizes, by using profits from the manufacture of chemical explosives to provide funds for the prizes.  Nobel wanted the profits from explosives, which he never intended for destructive purposes, to be used to reward human ingenuity.

As an adult Nobel began his professional life as a chemist in Sweden. He spent his entire life experimenting in many chemical fields, but his most notable accomplishments were made with synthetic materials. Nobel developed and patented a new synthetic type of explosive nitroglycerine, which he named "dynamite," and later began manufacturing. He continued his development and research, and eventually helped replace his original form of dynamite with safer, more stable gelatin dynamite, which was better for handling. His other chemical research provided valuable information on the preparation of artificial forms of rubber, leather, silk, and precious stones. In the end Nobel accumulated just over 350 patents on a variety of ideas and substances, while some of his ideas proved more imaginative than useful, there were some that became both extremely practicable and valuable.

His pursuits and enterprising spirits helped him become one of the wealthiest individuals in Europe. But even with his wealth he still regularly became absorbed in his scientific ideas and in the administration of his businesses, he devoted his nights and days to focus on studies and work. Besides his interests in chemical sciences, Alfred Nobel had a keen interest in societal questions, and held radical views on many (then) modern world situations. Nobel was greatly interested in literature and wrote poetry, novels, and plays in his spare time. These two sides of his life and personality developed in him a dream, a noble dream to work in the service of humanity for the bettering of all of the world.

Sadly, on 10. December 1896 Alfred Nobel died at his home at an age of 63. As a final act, through his last will and testament, Nobel placed most of his substantial estate into a special fund (approx. $9 million). The intention of this fund was to use its interest to annually award and recognize persons whose work had been of the greatest benefit to humanity, a recognition for those who had accomplished a part of his dream. As a result of this last will and testament, three years later, assigned with the administration of this fund, the Nobel Foundation drafted and ratified statues to fulfill this final request. The Nobel Prizes, first awarded in 1901, remain the most honored prizes in the world.

For more information visit the Nobel Foundation website (www.nobel.se) and read about Alfred Nobel. A link to their biography of Alfred Nobel is provided here:
The Life and Work of Alfred Nobel.

 
The 1998 Nobel Peace Prize
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 1998 to John Hume and David Trimble for their efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Over the past thirty years, the national, religious and social conflict in Northern Ireland has cost over 3,500 people their lives. John Hume has throughout been the clearest and most consistent of Northern Ireland’s political leaders in his work for a peaceful solution. The foundations of the peace agreement signed on Good Friday 1998 reflect principles which he has stood for.

As the leader of the traditionally predominant party in Northern Ireland, David Trimble showed great political courage when, at a critical stage of the process, he advocated solutions which led to the peace agreement. As the head of the Northern Ireland government, he has taken the first steps towards building up the mutual confidence on which a lasting peace must be based.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee also wishes to emphasise the importance of the positive contributions to the peace process made by other Northern Irish leaders, and by the governments of Great Britain, Ireland, and the United States.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee expresses the hope that the foundations which have now been laid will not only lead to lasting peace in Northern Ireland, but also serve to inspire peaceful solutions to other religious, ethnic and national conflicts around the world.

Oslo, October 16. 1998
The Norwegian Nobel Institute
(www.nobel.no)