Following the Historical Footsteps of the Nobel Peace Prize
Oslo is the city where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, and many of its landmark buildings have played a part in the prize’s history.
The summer walking tours begin outside the Nobel Peace Center. The museum dedicated to the Nobel Peace Prize is only 18 years old, but it is housed in the historic Oslo West Station, which dates back to 1872. The building is currently undergoing extensive renovation, and the museum will therefore remain closed until the end of August. In the meantime, the museum is bringing the stories of Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Peace Prize outdoors, with daily walking tours throughout the summer months.
OSLO CITY HALL AND THE NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENT
The tour first stops at Oslo City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented in a formal ceremony every year on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. It then continues to the Norwegian Parliament, the institution responsible for appointing the members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, in accordance with the instructions in Alfred Nobel’s will. What many people do not know is that the prize ceremony was also held inside the Parliament building during its first years, from 1901 until the Norwegian Nobel Institute opened in 1904.
THE UNIVERSITY AULA
Across the street, at the Grand Hotel, Nobel Peace Prize laureates are honoured with a formal banquet on the evening of 10 December. From the hotel balcony, they receive the public’s tribute as the traditional torchlight procession passes by. The University Aula also holds an important place in the history of the Nobel Peace Prize. The award ceremony was held here from 1947 to 1989, before moving to Oslo City Hall. Martin Luther King Jr, Willy Brandt and the Dalai Lama are among the laureates who received the prize inside the Aula.
THE ARCHIVES
The tour ends at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Henrik Ibsens gate. This is where the decision about who will receive the Nobel Peace Prize is made, and where the laureate is announced to the world. The Institute also houses the archive containing all nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. The nominations remain confidential for 50 years before they are made public. The tour will not reveal any details about this year’s nominations, but the Nobel Peace Center promises to share stories from previous Nobel Peace Prize laureates’ visits to Oslo.
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