Charlemagne Prize

Not to be confused with European Charlemagne Youth Prize.

The Charlemagne Prize (German: Karlspreis; full name originally Internationaler Karlspreis der Stadt Aachen, International Charlemagne Prize of the City of Aachen, since 1988 Internationaler Karlspreis zu Aachen, International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen) is a prize awarded for work done in the service of European unification. It has been awarded since 1950 by the German city of Aachen. It commemorates Charlemagne (German: Karl der Große), ruler of the Frankish Empire and founder of what became the Holy Roman Empire, who was the first to unify Western Europe following the Fall of the Western Roman Empire. Traditionally the award is given to the recipient on Ascension Day in a ceremony in the Aachen Town Hall. In April 2008, the organisers of the Charlemagne Prize and the European Parliament jointly created a new European Charlemagne Youth Prize, which recognises contributions by young people towards the process of European integration. Patrons of the foundation are King Philippe of Belgium, King Felipe VI of Spain, and Henri, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.^[1]

Charlemagne Prize
Awarded for	Distinguished service on behalf of European unification
Location	Aachen, Germany
Presented by	Society for the Conferring of the International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen
First award	1 May 1950; 75 years ago (1950-05-01)
Currently held by	Ursula von der Leyen
Website	www.karlspreis.de/en/

The mediaeval city seal of Aachen on which the design of the prize medal is based

History

The city hall of Aachen

On 19 December 1949, Kurt Pfeiffer [de] presented to the reading group "Corona Legentium Aquensis", which he had founded, his proposals for the prize: "We have the honour of proposing annual presentation of an international prize for the most valuable contribution in the services of Western European understanding and work for the community, and in the services of humanity and world peace. This contribution may be in the field of literary, scientific, economic or political endeavour."

The sponsors of the prize, the city of Aachen, refer to Charlemagne as the "Founder of Western Culture", and assert that under his reign, the city of Aachen was once the spiritual and political centre of the whole of what is now western Europe.

The first Charlemagne Prize was awarded to Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi, the founder of the Pan-European Movement.

Following the presentation of the award to the Italian Prime Minister Alcide de Gasperi in 1952, the International Charlemagne Prize of the City of Aachen has repeatedly sent messages going far beyond Germany and promoting the "unity of Europe".

The award sponsors assert that the list of Charlemagne Prize winners reflects the history of the European process of unification, commonly referred to as European integration. They continue that it has been awarded to founding fathers of a United Europe such as de Gasperi, Schuman, Monnet and Adenauer, and to those who have embodied hope for integration such as Edward Heath, Konstantinos Karamanlis, and His Majesty Juan Carlos I.

The sponsors promote that the Charlemagne Prize is not only an expression of gratitude for lasting services for the unity of Europe, but also an encouragement and an expression of hopes and expectations directed towards the future. They quote Kurt Pfeiffer: "the Charlemagne Prize reaches into the future, and at the same time it embodies an obligation – an obligation of the highest ethical value. It is directed at a voluntary union of the European peoples without constraint, so that in their newfound strength they may defend the highest earthly goods – freedom, humanity and peace – and safeguard the future of their children and children's children."

In April 2008, the organisers of the Charlemagne Prize and the European Parliament jointly created a new European Charlemagne Youth Prize, which recognises contributions by young people towards the process of European integration.

Fellowship

Since 2019, the Charlemagne Prize Academy has annually awarded fellowships ^[2] to support researchers working on issues relevant to Europe’s future integration.

Recipients

Year	Recipient	Nationality	Rationale[A]
1950	Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi	Austrian	"[for] his life's work in shaping the United States of Europe"
1951	Hendrik Brugmans	Dutch	"[for] his tireless work for European unification and in appreciation of the responsible task he set himself as founder of the European University in Bruges"
1952	Alcide de Gasperi	Italian	"[for] his constant promotion of European unification. His tireless dedication, driven by a sense of reality, to political and economic cooperation among the European peoples with the ultimate goal of supranational unity has achieved significant practical results."
1953	Jean Monnet	French	"[for] his creative contributions to the cause of European unification. With clear, purposeful striving, the prize winner laid the intellectual and practical foundations of the first sovereign, supranational European institution and, despite many difficulties, led it to a vibrant and effective operation."
1954	Konrad Adenauer	West German	"[for] his clear, goal-oriented planning and practical development of the foundations of European union."
1955	Winston Churchill	British	"[for] his services to the defense of the highest human good, freedom, and for the successful call of young people to secure the future of Europe through unification."
1956	Not awarded
1957	Paul Henri Spaak	Belgian	"[for] his outstanding services to the federal unification of the European states, their common economic future and their security."
1958	Robert Schuman	French	"[for] his great achievements in laying the first practical foundations for a European federation in the political and economic spheres and for a shared future of Germany and France in peace and security."
1959	George C. Marshall	American	"for his outstanding services to the economic reconstruction of Europe through the Marshall Plan, the strengthening of the idea of unification and the will of the peoples of Western Europe to preserve themselves."
1960	Joseph Bech	Luxembourger	"[for] his life's work and his great services to the unification of Europe, which began in the old League of Nations and has been purposefully continued in the European institutions."
1961	Walter Hallstein	West German	"[for] his tireless, purposeful work for the European Federation, based on a profound knowledge of the problems."
1962	Not awarded
1963	Edward Heath	British	"[for] his unstinting efforts to integrate Great Britain into the unification movement on the continent and of his commitment to the European community of destiny."
1964	Antonio Segni	Italian	"[for] his life's work for the union of the peoples of Europe in a political community dedicated to the preservation of world peace, planned economic development in Europe and overseas, and to the social duties of mankind."
1965	Not awarded
1966	Jens Otto Krag	Danish	"[for] his decisive stance and purposeful policy of European cooperation in the economic field, in joint defence and in overcoming national antagonisms."
1967	Joseph Luns	Dutch	"for his tireless and unwavering commitment to the union of all free peoples of Europe in a strong and forward-looking unity."
1968	Not awarded
1969	European Commission	European Union	"[for] its great services to European unification."
1970	François Seydoux de Clausonne	French	"[for his] profound connoisseur of Romanesque and Germanic intellectual life and their manifold interrelations, the guardian and tireless promoter of the Franco-German friendship pact, which is the cornerstone of the future European state."
1971	Not awarded
1972	Roy Jenkins	British	"[for] his determined advocacy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain's membership of the European Community."
1973	Salvador de Madariaga	Spanish	"[for] his life and work, his courageous criticism and forward-looking ideas, for a European unity whose strength is based on freedom and independence, on political and social responsibility towards the world and spiritual radiation from a variety of rich sources."
1974	Not awarded
1975
1976	Leo Tindemans	Belgian	"whose unstinting commitment to the unity of Europe is reflected in his forward-looking report on the desired European Union, written in 1975."
1977	Walter Scheel	West German	"[for] his services in promoting responsible cooperation by the Federal Republic of Germany in the European Communities and his tireless efforts to consolidate and further develop these among the peoples of Europe."
1978	Konstantinos Karamanlis	Greek	"[for] his untiring efforts to integrate his country into the European Community, whose purpose is the personal freedom of its citizens and respect for human rights, the joint promotion of the economy and social progress and the defence of its ideals."
1979	Emilio Colombo	Italian	"[for] his life's work dedicated to European integration.
1980	Not awarded
1981	Simone Veil	French	"[for] her work for the unification of Europe and her resolute advocacy of the rights of the first freely and directly elected representation of all the peoples of Europe united in the European Community."
1982	Juan Carlos of Spain	Spanish	"[for] his decisive work towards a Europe united with Spain and his powerful and courageous advocacy of the principles of justice and freedom that underpin the continent."
1983	Not awarded
1984	Karl Carstens	West German	"[for] his tireless efforts to promote the political, economic and cultural unification of the European Community."
1985	Not awarded
1986	The Luxembourgers	Luxembourgers	"[for] its exemplary and steadfast commitment to the unification of the peoples of Europe."
1987	Henry Kissinger	American	"[for] his successful efforts for peace and understanding and his advocacy of a balanced partnership with a Europe that has grown stronger as a union."
1988	Helmut Kohl	West German	"[for] their continuous and successful efforts to achieve lasting friendship between their countries and to maintain and consolidate the European Community."
1988	François Mitterrand	French	"[for] their continuous and successful efforts to achieve lasting friendship between their countries and to maintain and consolidate the European Community."
1989	Frère Roger	Swiss	"[for] his example of trust, reconciliation and community as a necessary foundation for the entire European unification."
1990	Gyula Horn	Hungarian	"[for] his services to the solidarity between the peoples of Europe in East and West in the spirit of humanity."
1991	Václav Havel	Czech	"[for] his commitment to the spirit of freedom and the realisation of peace in his country and throughout Europe."
1992	Jacques Delors	French	"[for] his tireless and determined efforts towards the political and economic unification of Europe."
1993	Felipe González	Spanish	"[for] his unwavering and passionate commitment to European unification."
1994	Gro Harlem Brundtland	Norwegian	"[for] her European commitment and her worldwide efforts for social justice and the preservation of the natural foundations of life."
1995	Franz Vranitzky	Austrian	"[for] his long-standing, unwavering commitment to the strengthening of Europe, in particular for the integration of the regions of Eastern Europe into the European Union."
1996	Beatrix of the Netherlands	Dutch	"[for] her personal commitment to overcoming differences and strengthening the community between the peoples of Europe."
1997	Roman Herzog	German	"[for] his tireless efforts to promote understanding and peace in Europe."
1998	Bronisław Geremek	Polish	"[for] his courageous and fearless commitment as a scientist, politician and statesman to the unity of Europe."
1999	Tony Blair	British	"[for] his personal commitment to peace in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom's commitment to the European Union."
2000	Bill Clinton	American	"[for] the partnership and cooperation with the European states to expand and deepen the union, to uphold human rights and freedom, and as a thank you from the Europeans to the American people for building democracy and prosperity after 1945."
2001	György Konrád	Hungarian	"[for] his outstanding achievements as a European humanist, world citizen and bridge-builder for justice and reconciliation, and thus for the growing together of Europe."
2002	The Euro	European Union	"[for] its advancement of a united Europe in political, economic and spiritual-cultural terms."
2003	Valéry Giscard d'Estaing	French	"[for] his life's work and the historic task of drafting a constitution for the United Europe."
2004	Pat Cox	Irish	"[for] his outstanding personal achievements in the enlargement and democratisation of the Union."
2004	Pope John Paul II	/	(extraordinary prize)
2005	Carlo Azeglio Ciampi	Italian	"[for] his lifetime achievements in the cause of European integration and as a mediator between the worlds."
2006	Jean-Claude Juncker	Luxembourger	"[for] his exemplary work for a social and united Europe."
2007	Javier Solana	Spanish	"[for] his exemplary work for peace in Europe and peace in the world."
2008	Angela Merkel	German	"[for] her outstanding personal achievements in the unification of the European Union."
2009	Andrea Riccardi	Italian	"[for] his commitment to a more peaceful and just world."
2010	Donald Tusk	Polish	"[for] his exemplary commitment to understanding, partnership and progress in the process of European unification."
2011	Jean-Claude Trichet	French	"[for] his outstanding services to the Monetary Union and the stability of the euro."
2012	Wolfgang Schäuble	German	"[for] his significant achievements in overcoming the division and strengthening Europe."
2013	Dalia Grybauskaitė	Lithuanian	"[for] her significant services to the European Union and the integrative development of the Baltic Sea region."
2014	Herman Van Rompuy	Belgian	"[for] his significant achievements as a mediator, consensus-builder and driving force behind European unification."
2015	Martin Schulz[3]	German	"[for] his significant contribution to strengthening the role of the Parliament and the democratic legitimacy of the EU."
2016	Pope Francis	/	"[for] his outstanding commitment to peace, understanding and mercy in a European society of values."
2017	Timothy Garton Ash	British	"[for] his outstanding work on the self-image and vision of a united, free Europe in an interconnected world."
2018	Emmanuel Macron	French	"[for] his inspiring vision of a re-founding of the European project and his passionate fight against nationalism and isolationism."
2019	António Guterres	Portuguese	"[for] his outstanding commitment to revitalising and strengthening multilateral cooperation based on the common values and goals of the European Union and the United Nations."
2020/21	Klaus Iohannis[4]	Romanian	"[for] his outstanding services as a fighter for European freedom, democracy and the rule of law and as a bridge builder between East and West."
2022	Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maria Kalesnikava, Veronika Tsepkalo	Belarusian	"[for] their exemplary commitment to freedom, democracy, the rule of law and the protection of human rights in Europe."
2023	Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people	Ukrainian	"[for] their courageous fight for freedom, self-determination, democracy and the defence of our European values."
2024	Pinchas Goldschmidt and the Jewish communities in Europe	/	"as a signal against anti-Semitism, violence and hatred, for tolerance, dialogue and understanding and as a sign that Jewish life in Europe is a matter of course."
2025	Ursula von der Leyen	German	"for her outstanding commitment to European unity, security and competitiveness"

After awarding the Charlemagne Prize 2015 to Martin Schulz, the dignitaries met on stage at Aachen Katschhof [de]. From left to right can be seen: Bernd Büttgens (official spokesman of the city of Aachen), Armin Laschet (Parliamentary group leader of the CDU in North Rhine-Westphalia), François Hollande (President of France), Martin Schulz (President of the European Parliament), Joachim Gauck (President of Germany), Felipe VI (King of Spain), Petro Poroshenko (President of Ukraine), Sauli Niinistö (President of Finland), Simonetta Sommaruga (President of Switzerland), Hannelore Kraft (Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia), Jürgen Linden (Speaker of the board of directors of the Charlemagne Prize of the city of Aachen).

• 
  Paul-Henri Spaak in the 1957 ceremony
• 
  Bill Clinton, recipient in 2000, along with earlier recipients King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Václav Havel and Simone Veil
• 
  Angela Merkel with the 2008 prize medal around her neck

By country

Country	Number
Germany	10
France	9
Italy	5
United Kingdom
Spain	4
Netherlands	3
United States
Luxembourg
Poland
Belgium
Austria	2
Hungary
European Union
Vatican
Switzerland
Denmark	1
Greece
Czechia
Norway
Ireland
Lithuania
Argentina
Portugal
Romania
Belarus
Ukraine
Russia

See also

• European Charlemagne Youth Prize
• Leipzig Human Rights Award, originally called the "Alternative Charlemagne Award", formed in opposition to Clinton's recognition with the award
• Aachen Peace Prize [de], formed in opposition to Kissinger's recognition with the award