The Charlemagne Prize
A symbol of European unity
Since 1950, the Charlemagne Prize has honoured individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to European unity and shared values.
Award for European association
The International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen has been awarded since 1950 to personalities who have made an outstanding contribution to European unity and cooperation. The first award went to Richard Count Coudenhove-Kalergi, founder of the pan-European movement. The prize gained international recognition in its early years, particularly through the honours bestowed on Alcide De Gasperi (1952), Jean Monnet, Konrad Adenauer and Robert Schuman, the political architects of a united Europe.
Over the decades, the prize has become a reflection of the European integration process: from the founding fathers of the EU to the driving forces behind reunification and today's champions of democracy, human rights and sustainable development. Honoured recipients include prominent figures such as Robert Schuman, Jean Monnet, Jacques Delors, Simone Veil, François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl, Václav Havel, Pope John Paul II, Angela Merkel, Donald Tusk, Emmanuel Macron, António Guterres, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ursula von der Leyen have been honoured.
The Charlemagne Prize in times of change
The Charlemagne Prize addresses current developments and provides important impetus for the future of Europe. In recent years, the award ceremonies have often been marked by major challenges: from the sovereign debt crisis and the crisis of confidence in the EU to debates on migration, security, democracy and the paradigm shift ("Zeitenwende"). Laureates such as Jean-Claude Trichet, Wolfgang Schäuble, Herman Van Rompuy and Martin Schulz have used the platform to formulate forward-looking ideas for Europe's future.
The prize itself does not engage in politics, but brings together citizens, institutions and leaders to support, critically accompany and strengthen the European integration process. Young people in particular should be inspired by the idea of Europe. That is why the European Charlemagne Youth Prize was established in 2008 to recognise initiatives that actively promote and embody the European idea. Since 2019, the Charlemagne Prize Academy has been funding research projects on visionary issues relating to the future of Europe and supporting young academics from all over Europe in the implementation of innovative ideas.
A prize for the future of Europe
Especially in times of growing uncertainty, the Charlemagne Prize remains a symbol of encouragement. It stands for the conviction that Europe's strength lies in unity, diversity and solidarity. Year after year, the prize winners and their messages send out a strong signal for the creation of a common Europe – a Europe that is growing together not only economically, but also socially, culturally and politically.
Dr. Jürgen Linden
Chairman of the Charlemagne Prize Board of Directors
The European impact of the Charlemagne Prize
Focus on international understanding
further development
Public discussion
In 1987, the nomination of former American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger led to a broad public debate about the aims of the Charlemagne Prize. Kissinger's sceptical attitude towards the disarmament negotiations with the Soviet Union caused differences of opinion within the board of directors. Two members left the committee and there was criticism of the lack of legitimacy on the part of the city council. In response to this controversy, the Charlemagne Prize Society changed the name of the award to the ‘International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen’ to emphasise its character as a citizens' award.
12 countries involved
The European Community had long since become a reality. The original six founding members in 1958 had grown to a group of twelve countries. After a period of stagnation in European politics in the 1970s, the member states became increasingly determined to revive the integration process in the second half of the 1980s. The core element of the Single European Act agreed in 1986 was the establishment of a single market by the end of 1992.
New direction
The end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany opened up new prospects for European integration. The political changes in Eastern Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the joint declaration by the City Council of Aachen and the Charlemagne Prize Society in 1990. This declaration updated the original founding proclamation and emphasised the goal of peaceful integration of free nations throughout the European continent.
Extended objective
The joint declaration of 1990 emphasised a comprehensive union of all European states, including Central and Eastern Europe, and reaffirmed the central goal of the Charlemagne Prize: international understanding. It also highlighted Europe's importance in balancing the North-South divide and called for the protection of the environment for future generations. These expanded goals reflect the developments of the last 40 years and respond to the changed political and social conditions.
Political and cultural programme
The decision, also taken in 1990, to involve citizens more closely in the Charlemagne Prize was very well received. Since then, a programme of events lasting several weeks, with a primarily political and cultural focus, has been organised in the run-up to the award ceremony to familiarise the general public with the winner, their country of origin and their work in European politics, as well as with general issues concerning the future of a united Europe.