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The Otto Hahn Peace Medal in Gold is named after the German nuclear chemist and 1944 Nobel Laureate
Otto Hahn Otto Hahn (; 8 March 1879 – 28 July 1968) was a German chemist who was a pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and radiochemistry. He is referred to as the father of nuclear chemistry and father of nuclear fission. Hahn and Lise Meitner ...
, an honorary citizen of
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
. The medal is in memory of his worldwide involvement in the politics of peace and humanitarian causes, in particular since the dropping of the atomic bombs on
Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui ...
and
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
in August 1945 by the United States Army Air Forces. It was established by his grandson Dietrich Hahn in 1988 and is awarded by the United Nations Association of Germany (Deutsche Gesellschaft für die Vereinten Nationen, DGVN, Berlin-Brandenburg) to persons or institutions that have rendered ''"outstanding services to peace and international understanding"''. By tradition, the gold medal, together with a leather-bound diploma inlaid in gold, is presented in Berlin at a biennial ceremony on 17 December by the Governing Mayor of Berlin and the President of the DGVN. On 17 December 1938, in Berlin-Dahlem, Otto Hahn and his assistant Fritz Strassmann had discovered a new reaction in uranium (which exiled
Lise Meitner Elise Meitner ( , ; 7 November 1878 – 27 October 1968) was an Austrian-Swedish physicist who was one of those responsible for the discovery of the element protactinium and nuclear fission. While working at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute on r ...
and her nephew
Otto Frisch Otto Robert Frisch FRS (1 October 1904 – 22 September 1979) was an Austrian-born British physicist who worked on nuclear physics. With Lise Meitner he advanced the first theoretical explanation of nuclear fission (coining the term) and first ...
two weeks later correctly interpreted as "nuclear fission") thus laying the scientific and technical foundations of nuclear energy. This 17 December 1938 therefore marks the beginning of the ''
Atomic age The Atomic Age, also known as the Atomic Era, is the period of history following the detonation of the first nuclear weapon, The Gadget at the ''Trinity'' test in New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, during World War II. Although nuclear chain reaction ...
'', which from the scientific, political, economic, social and philosophical point of view has fundamentally changed the world.


Previous prizewinners

Source: *2018 John Forbes Kerry – 68th United States Secretary of State, Boston, "''for his exceptional diplomatic achievements.''" *2016
Melinda Gates Melinda French Gates (born Melinda Ann French; August 15, 1964) is an American philanthropist and former multimedia product developer and manager at Microsoft. French Gates has consistently been ranked as one of the world's most powerful women ...
– American business woman, philanthropist and co-founder of the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was ...
, Seattle, "''for outstanding contributions to peace and understanding among nations, especially regarding her admirable philanthropic initiatives that prepare the ground for millions of people in all continents for a humane life.''" *2014
Manfred Nowak Manfred Nowak (born 26 June 1950 in Bad Aussee) is an Austrian human rights lawyer, who served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture from 2004 to 2010. He is Secretary General of the European Inter-University Center for Human Rig ...
– Austrian University teacher and international law and human rights expert, Vienna, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his tireless efforts to protect the rights of each individual and the courageous publication of cruel abuses."'' *2012
Tadatoshi Akiba is a Japanese mathematician and politician and served as the mayor of the city of Hiroshima, Japan from 1999 to 2011. Early life He studied mathematics at the University of Tokyo, receiving a B.S. in 1966 and an M.S. in 1968. He continued his ...
– Japanese mathematician, politician, former mayor of Hiroshima and co-founder of the
Mayors for Peace Mayors for Peace is an international organization of cities dedicated to the promotion of peace that was established in 1982 at the initiative of then Mayor of Hiroshima Takeshi Araki, in response to the deaths of around 140,000 people due to the ...
Organization, Hiroshima, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially his untiring dedication to worldwide nuclear disarmament and the policy of détente and reconciliation."'' *2010
Daniel Barenboim Daniel Barenboim (; in he, דניאל בארנבוים, born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin. He has been since 1992 General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeist ...
– Argentine-Israeli pianist, conductor and UN Messenger of Peace, Berlin, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially his exemplary commitment to the dialogue in the Middle East and the approximation between Israel and Palestine."'' *2008
Hans Küng Hans Küng (; 19 March 1928 – 6 April 2021) was a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author. From 1995 he was president of the Foundation for a Global Ethic (Stiftung Weltethos). Küng was ordained a priest in 1954, joined the faculty o ...
– Swiss theologian, founder and President of the Global Ethic Foundation (Stiftung Weltethos), Tübingen, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his exemplary employment for humanity, tolerance and the dialogue between the great world religions."'' *2005
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...
– US American boxer, civil rights campaigner and UN Messenger of Peace, Berrien Springs, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his lifelong commitment to the American civil rights movement and the cultural and spiritual emancipation of black people throughout the world."'' *2003
Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson ( ga, Máire Mhic Róibín; ; born 21 May 1944) is an Irish politician who was the 7th president of Ireland, serving from December 1990 to September 1997, the first woman to hold this office. Prior to her electi ...
– Irish politician, former President of the Republic of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Dublin, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for her political leadership, which was marked by high humanitarian ideals, and her tireless and courageous efforts for the worldwide promotion and defence of human rights."'' *2001
Miriam Makeba Zenzile Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including Afropop, jazz, and world music, she w ...
– South African singer, composer and human rights activist, Johannesburg, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for her decades of opposition to racism and apartheid in South Africa, which made her a role model in the struggle for human rights, human dignity and tolerance."'' *1999
Gerd Ruge Gerd Ruge (9 August 1928 – 15 October 2021) was a German journalist, author and filmmaker. As a journalist he was associated with public broadcasters Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR), ARD and WDR. Through his career spanning over 50 years, he ...
– German journalist and television documentary maker, Munich, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his commitment to the encouragement of objective reporting and for his exemplary work in promoting a better understanding of China, the Soviet Union and Russia."'' *1997 Lord
Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi or Jehudi (Hebrew: יהודי, endonym for Jew) is a common Hebrew name: * Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), violinist and conductor ** Yehudi Menuhin School, a music school in Surrey, England ** Who's Yehoodi?, a catchphrase referring to t ...
– British violin virtuoso and conductor, London, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his unwavering and exemplary belief, demonstrated in his life, that music is in all circumstances a force for understanding and for peace."'' *1995 Hans Koschnick – German politician (SPD) and EU Administrator in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bremen, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his humanitarian efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which demonstrate in exemplary fashion how personal responsibility for the peace mission of the United Nations should be exercised."'' *1993 Sir
Karl R. Popper Sir Karl Raimund Popper (28 July 1902 – 17 September 1994) was an Austrian-British philosopher, academic and social commentator. One of the 20th century's most influential philosophers of science, Popper is known for his rejection of the cl ...
– British philosopher and theoretician of science, Kenley near London, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his achievements in social philosophy, which laid the theoretical foundations for the humane evolution of democratic societies."'' *1991
Simon Wiesenthal Simon Wiesenthal (31 December 190820 September 2005) was a Jewish Austrian Holocaust survivor, Nazi hunter, and writer. He studied architecture and was living in Lwów at the outbreak of World War II. He survived the Janowska concentration ...
– Austrian writer and founder of the Jewish Documentation Centre, Vienna, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his exemplary work for truth and justice, dignity and tolerance, and for reconciliation."'' *1989
Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Com ...
– Russian politician, President of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Moscow, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his contributions to nuclear disarmament of the great powers and the creation of a fundamentally new political order in Europe."'' *1988
Sandro Pertini Alessandro "Sandro" Pertini (; 25 September 1896 – 24 February 1990) was an Italian socialist politician who served as the president of Italy from 1978 to 1985. Early life Born in Stella (Province of Savona) as the son of a wealthy landown ...
– Italian politician, former President of the Republic of Italy, Rome, ''"for outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his political ethics and practical humanity."''


Statements by prizewinners

''"The award of the Otto Hahn Peace Medal has given me great joy and satisfaction, particularly because it is linked with the name of this great man, a great scientist, and a modest human being who was ready to help other people at all times, and who has always been a role model for me."'' (Prof. Dr. h.c.
Simon Wiesenthal Simon Wiesenthal (31 December 190820 September 2005) was a Jewish Austrian Holocaust survivor, Nazi hunter, and writer. He studied architecture and was living in Lwów at the outbreak of World War II. He survived the Janowska concentration ...
, Vienna, 1991). ''"Ever since my early youth, I have admired Otto Hahn as a scientist and a human being. The reason for Hahn's peace work was simply that, knowing more than other citizens about atomic weapons, he felt it his duty to speak about this issue that was so crucial for mankind. He could make things clear, he had to use his knowledge. And it is why Otto Hahn, with atomic weapons in mind, wrote shortly before his death of the 'necessity of world peace'."'' (Prof. Dr. Sir
Karl R. Popper Sir Karl Raimund Popper (28 July 1902 – 17 September 1994) was an Austrian-British philosopher, academic and social commentator. One of the 20th century's most influential philosophers of science, Popper is known for his rejection of the cl ...
, Kenley, 1993). ''"Otto Hahn held a particular attraction for us younger people after the war. In his commitment to the promotion of free scientific enquiry, as well as in his efforts to persuade scientists to recognize their responsibility for shaping the contemporary world and the future, we found something which we could identify. And when in the fifties he came out so strongly and impressively against the misuse of nuclear science for aggressive purposes, we looked upon him as an example to us all. Another reason for the admiration we felt for Otto Hahn was that he never ceased to remind us of our duty to think not only of ourselves, and not only of the developed world, but of the world as a whole."'' (Dr. h.c. Hans Koschnick, Bremen, 1995). ''"Otto Hahn was a fantastic man, who gives us all an example of humanity, also in the nazi era."'' (Prof. Dr. h.c. Lord
Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi or Jehudi (Hebrew: יהודי, endonym for Jew) is a common Hebrew name: * Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), violinist and conductor ** Yehudi Menuhin School, a music school in Surrey, England ** Who's Yehoodi?, a catchphrase referring to t ...
, London, 1997). ''"I wish to express my thanks on behalf of my husband. This award is very important to Muhammad. He feels very honoured to be the winner of the tenth Otto Hahn Peace Medal. Both Otto Hahn and Muhammad worked in professions that had destructive effects – but both worked tirelessly for peace. We warmly thank the United Nations Association of Germany, Berlin-Brandenburg, for honouring Muhammad's commitment. He will continue to devote every effort to his activities as United Nations Messenger of Peace and to his work within the Muhammad Ali Center for Peace and International Understanding."'' (Dr. Lonnie Ali, Berrien Springs, 2005).


See also

* Not to be confused with the much more often awarded scientific
Otto Hahn Medal The Otto Hahn Medal (german: Otto-Hahn-Medaille) is awarded by the Max Planck Society to young scientists and researchers in both the natural and social sciences. The award takes its name from the German chemist and Nobel Prize laureate Otto Hahn ...
nor the new
Otto Hahn Prize The Otto Hahn Prize is awarded biennially jointly by the Society of German Chemists (), the German Physical Society () and the city of Frankfurt am Main for outstanding achievement in the field of chemistry, physics or applied engineering science. ...
created by a merger of two similar prizes. * List of prizes named after people *
List of peace prizes This list of peace prizes is an index to articles on notable prizes awarded for contributions towards achieving or maintaining peace. The list is organized by region and country of the sponsoring organization, but many of the prizes are open to pe ...


References

{{reflist


External links


Website of the Otto Hahn Peace Medal
DGVN, LV Berlin-Brandenburg (United Nations Association of Germany, Berlin-Brandenburg)

The Japan Times, Tokyo, November 29, 2012.
Former Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba received Otto Hahn Peace Medal in Berlin
House of Japan, April 18, 2013. Peace awards Humanitarian and service awards German awards Otto Hahn