Nobel’s legacy
Winning a Nobel Prize isn’t easy, but it comes with fame, fortune and – most years – a glitzy ceremony in Sweden on 10 December
What happens on 10 December?
The date marks the death of Alfred Nobel, the 19th century industrialist who instituted five prizes “to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind” – in the fields of chemistry, physics, medicine, literature and the pursuit of peace. Since 1901, the first four prizes have been handed out on that date by the Swedish monarch before the “feast of feasts”, a royal gala banquet in Stockholm; in 1969, another prize, in economics, was added to them in Nobel’s memory to celebrate the 300th birthday of the Swedish central bank. On the same day, the peace prize is awarded in Oslo at a rather less grand celebration.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
He was a vastly successful chemist, engineer and businessman. Born into poverty in Stockholm in 1833, Nobel worked to develop a safe explosive from the newly invented nitroglycerine, which was powerful but unstable: an accident killed his brother Emil. But by adding an inert sand, Nobel made it stable and easy to handle. He initially wanted to call this “Nobel’s Safety Powder” but in the end patented it as dynamite in 1867; it became a standard technology in mining and engineering. Nobel also invented the blasting cap and other explosives such as gelignite, and established armaments factories; he owned the armaments company Bofors, which exists to this day. A brilliant but lonely and complex man, Nobel was a literature-loving pacifist. The story goes that he was much affected by a French obituary of himself, published in error when his brother Ludvig died, with the headline: “The merchant of death is dead.” At any rate, his will ensured that after his death in 1896, he would leave a rich legacy. foundation stipulates that laureates must hold a free public lecture while in Stockholm. They may also have an early-morning visit from a group of white-clad women celebrating Saint Lucy’s Day by carrying candles, singing, and serving saffron buns. This used to be a surprise, but legend has it that one guest expired when the “angels” entered their bedroom, so it was made optional. On Nobel Day itself, 1,500 people gather in the city’s Concert Hall in the afternoon, where winners receive an 18-carat gold medal and a diploma from King Carl XVI Gustaf. Today, the prize money is ten million Swedish kronor per subject, about £883,000, which is shared if the prize is jointly won.
Is that the end of the festivities?
Nobelfesten”,
No: it is followed by the “the white-tie banquet in the Blue Hall in Stockholm City Hall, where 1,300 guests enjoy or endure a four-hour seated dinner, interspersed by speeches, entertainment and elaborate Scandinavian dishes (moose, reindeer, cloudberries and candlelit ice cream bombes are favourites). In Sweden, the is broadcast in its entirety. TV cameras hover over ladies’ décolletées; table manners and choice of gala dress are commented on by presenters, while experts try to lip-read conversations. Sadly, all this was replaced this year by brief ceremonies in the laureates’ home countries.
Nobelfesten