Salman Rushdie wins German peace prize, here’s what the coveted prize is all about

History of the award

Instituted five years after the Second World War, the founders of the peace prize intended to honour those who “oppose in word and deed what endangers peace, understanding and equality among nations.”

The peace prize dates back to 1949 when writer Max Tau sent his book to Hans Schwarz, another author. When Schwarz lauded Tau’s work saying “If I had a Peace Prize to give, YOU would get it first”, Tau wittily replied saying “Maybe you have a Peace Prize to give?” His remark prompted Schwarz to suggest to a group of German publishers and booksellers to institute a foundation for a peace prize. The first ever prize, unsurprisingly, was awarded to Max Tau.  The award is based on German philosopher Immanuel Kant’s views on man as a free being with worldwide human rights and his work “Zum ewigen Frieden” which projected the peaceful coexistence of states.

Traditionally, the prize is awarded on the Sunday of Frankfurt Book Fair, which occurs in October at Frankfurt’s St. Pauls Church. The church holds historic significance in Germany as it was where the Frankfurt National Assembly, the first freely elected parliament for all German states was held in 1848. Awardees will receive a sum of €25,000 equivalent to an estimate of Rs 22,36,300.

Serhiy Zhadan, Ukrainian writer won the prize in 2021

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the jury awarded the prize to renowned Ukrainian writer and musician Serhiy Zhadan. The poet, novelist, poet, translator, and musician is known for his humanitarian stance and for risking his own life to help those affected by the war. Through his literary works, he elucidated how war and destruction alerted people’s lives. From the period of the collapse of the Soviet Union to the tensions in Ukraine, Zhadan reflected the plight of people through his works. Along with providing humanitarian aid in the city of Kharkiv and eastern Ukraine, Zhadan set his stories also in the war-ravaged cities.

Tsitsi Dangarembga, Zimbabwean novelist rewarded in 2020

In 2020, Zimbabwean novelist and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga was awarded the prestigious peace prize. Tsitsi is renowned for her trilogy of novels which narrates the story of a young woman’s life from adolescence to middle age. The trilogy brought forth the struggle for the right to live in dignity and the fight for female self-determination in Zimbabwe and Tsitsi is regarded as an iconic writer in contemporary literature of Africa. Her 1993 film Neria is one of the most popular films in Zimbabwe and is based on one of her tales.

Amartya Sen honoured in 2019

Economist and philosopher Amartya Sen bagged the award in 2019. He was rewarded for his idea of evaluating a society’s wealth not merely depending on economic growth indices, but on development opportunities accessible primarily to the weakest section of the society. The way he addressed problems of global justice for decades through his pioneering works on combating social inequality in education and healthcare won him the coveted prize.