Nobel Peace Prize 2022 for “Memorial”

This year's Nobel Peace Prize goes equally to the lawyer Ales Bialiatski (Belarus), the Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine) and the human rights organisation Memorial (Russia). The Norwegian Nobel Committee made the announcement in Oslo on 7 October. "The Peace Prize winners represent civil society in their home countries. For many years they have stood up for the right to criticise power and to protect the fundamental rights of citizens. They have done outstanding work in documenting war crimes, human rights violations, and abuses of power. Together they show how important civil society is for peace and democracy," said the committee's statement.

On behalf of the human rights organisation "Memorial", University President Prof. Dr Walter Rosenthal congratulated the Russian historian, publicist and translator Prof. Dr Irina Scherbakowa on this award. She is a founding member of the association, which was established in 1987 as the first independent, civil society organisation in the Soviet Union, and currently teaches at the University of Jena. "You are a role model for the members and affiliates of our university," said Rosenthal. "You have shown how the courage of a few can have an impact on the whole world. Thank you for your courage and perseverance!"

Joy and sadness at the same time

Irina Scherbakowa confesses to having reacted with mixed feelings to the news of the award. She says that the Nobel Peace Prize is a great honour and that she is happy about this important award. "At the same time, however, I also feel sadness in view of the terrible war in Ukraine and in view of the situation in Russia."

Already in 2016, "Memorial" has been put on the list of "foreign agents" by the Russian Ministry of Justice. At the beginning of 2022, a Russian court ordered the dissolution of the human rights organisation in the last instance. Irina Scherbakowa was then forced to leave Russia. As a long-standing member of the scientific board of trustees of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau Dora Memorials Foundation, she is closely connected to the city of Weimar. "We were therefore pleased and relieved that Irina Scherbakowa managed to come to Thuringia," says retired Prof. Dr Volkhard Knigge. He was the director of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation until 2020 and holds the Chair of History in Media and Public Spheres at the University of Jena and has already worked with Scherbakowa for many years. With the support of the Körber Foundation and the Thuringian State Chancellery, it was possible to bring the renowned scholar to the Imre Kertész Kolleg at the University of Jena as a visiting professor.

Irina Scherbakowa speaks at the matriculation ceremony

However, Irina Scherbakowa's stay is not only an enrichment for research at the University of Jena. As a keynote speaker, she will also welcome the new students of the winter semester 2022/23 at the ceremonial matriculation on 28 October.

At the University's press conference on the Nobel Peace Prize: (from left) retired Prof. Dr Volkhard Knigge, Prof. Dr Irina Scherbakowa and Prof. Dr Walter Rosenthal.

Image: Jens Meyer (University of Jena)