The International Balzan Prize Foundation promotes the arts and sciences worldwide as well as meritorious international initiatives that promote peace and brotherhood among the nations. To achieve its goals, the foundation awards four annual prizes in the arts, humanities and social sciences, as well as two awards in physics, mathematics, the natural sciences and medicine.

Since 2001, the statutes of the International Balzan Prize Foundation have stipulated that half of the prize money must be used to finance research projects that primarily involve early career researchers. Every three years, the Balzan Foundation also awards a prize that recognises efforts to promote humanitarianism, peace and brotherhood among the nations.

Laureates

2018

Professor Jürgen Osterhammel (Professor emeritus), Department of History, Sociology, Empirical Educational Research and Sport Science
Further information: Website of the International Balzan Price Foundation

2017

Professor Aleida Assmann (Professor emeritus), Department of Literature (with Art and Media Studies)
Further information: Press release no. 85, 2017

Video: Interdisciplinary forum of the Balzan Prize winners 2017 part 2 (Timecode 2:04:10)

1996

Professor Arno Borst †, Department of History, Sociology, Empirical Educational Research and Sport Science
Further information: Website of the International Balzan Price Foundation