Alfred Nobel and his legacy
If you were watching the news this week you might have seen the announcements of the Nobel prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economics. As one of the most prestigious prizes in the world, the announcement typically draws wide range attention and is followed by celebration and press releases from organizations associated with the recipients. The winners will have the opportunity to go to Stockholm and receive their prize from the Swedish king. But what is the origin of this famous prize?
Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist and inventor born in Stockholm in 1833. The family was impoverished at the time, but his father, Immanuel Noble, moved to Saint Petersburg and became wealthy through business ventures in machine tooling and explosives. Immanuel relocated the family to Russia following his success, and Alfred spent part of his youth there. As a young man Alfred studied chemistry, and in particular the newly invented explosive nitroglycerin. He was interested in finding a way to stabilize the unreliable chemical, particularly after a very serious accident in one of his laboratories that killed five people, including one of his brothers. Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1867, which led him to becoming exceedingly wealthy.
Alfred established the Nobel Prize in his last will and testimony to, at least in part, ensure a positive legacy for himself. One of the events that contributed to establishing the prize took place in 1888, when another one of his brothers, Ludwig, died. Several newspapers mistakenly published obituaries for Alfred, and the stories were far from flattering. He was among other things referred to as the “merchant of death” by a French newspaper, and was horrified that he would be remembered as such. A few years later, in 1895, he signed the will that would establish the prize.
There were five award categories originally established by Noble’s will: three in the sciences, one in literature, and the fifth one being the Peace prize. The first prizes were awarded in 1901, and in 1968 the Swedish National Bank added a prize in Economy in Alfred Nobel’s memory. While five of the six prizes are handed out at a ceremony in Stockholm every year, the Peace prize ceremony is held in Oslo, Norway. Alfred Nobel donated 94% of his fortune to establish the prize, or over 31 million Swedish crowns. By 2012 the Noble foundation had assets of just over 3 billion Swedish crowns, or 473 million US dollars. For the 2022 Nobel Prize the winners in each category will share 10 million Swedish crowns ($900,000 USD).
There has been many controversies surrounding the Nobel Prize over the years, in particular when it comes to the Peace prize. But also the science prizes have seen their share of controversy. For example, Albert Einstein was never awarded the Nobel Prize for his development of General Relatively, arguably one of the most important discoveries of the 20th century. He did, however, receive the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect, which is responsible for generating electricity in solar panels, among other things. Einstein and many of his colleagues viewed this as an insult, and he did not travel to Stockholm for the award ceremony.
I hope you tune in to watch the 2022 Nobel Prize Ceremony on December 10. And if you would like to learn more about the Swedish language, its culture, and even history, please consider signing up for one of my free trials or consultations below. I work one-on-one with you over Zoom to get you speaking Swedish in a matter of a few lessons. I also specialize in preparing my customers for work or studies in Sweden by teaching them about everyday life, local rules and regulations, and social norms and peculiarities. So sign up today!
