Introduction to the Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize, established by Alfred Nobel, recognizes individuals and organizations that have "conferred the greatest benefit to mankind" through efforts in "fraternity among nations, or the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." It is one of six Nobel Prizes awarded annually, and recipients receive an 18-carat gold medal, a diploma, and 11 million Swedish krona.
Prize Status: Cannot Be Revoked or Shared
Once announced, a Nobel Prize cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred. The Norwegian Nobel Institute states that decisions are final, and neither Alfred Nobel's will nor the Nobel Foundation's statutes allow for such actions. Prize-awarding bodies have never considered withdrawing an award.
Nominations and Controversies
While awards cannot be revoked, nominations can be withdrawn. A notable instance occurred in 1939 when Swedish parliamentarian Erik Brandt nominated Adolf Hitler for the Nobel Peace Prize. Brandt later clarified that this nomination was intended as satire to criticize the political climate, and he subsequently withdrew it.
Refusal of the Prize
Recipients can refuse the Nobel Peace Prize, but this does not invalidate the award decision.
- In 1973, Vietnamese diplomat Lê Đức Thọ jointly received the prize with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for negotiating a Vietnam War ceasefire. Thọ declined, citing that the ceasefire had been violated and the war continued. Kissinger accepted but later unsuccessfully attempted to return it.
- French writer Jean-Paul Sartre declined the 1964 Nobel Prize for Literature, stating his wish not to be "institutionalized" and consistent with his rejection of all official honors.
- Some winners have been prevented from accepting their awards, such as German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky in 1935, when Adolf Hitler banned all Germans from accepting Nobel Prizes.
Gifting of the Prize
There are instances of Nobel laureates gifting their medals.
- Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado recently presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump, leading to public acknowledgment from Trump.
- American author Ernest Hemingway, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, donated his medal and diploma to the people of Cuba, placing them with the Catholic Church at El Cobre. Only the diploma remains publicly displayed.