The Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed on "those who conferred the greatest benefit on humankind" in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace and Economic Sciences[nb 1],[1] instituted by Alfred Nobel's last will, which specified that a part of his fortune be used to create the prizes. Each laureate (recipient) receives a gold medal, a diploma and a sum of money, which is decided annually by the Nobel Foundation.[2] They are widely recognized as one of the most prestigious honours awarded in the aforementioned fields.[3]
Switzerland is among the countries with the highest number of Nobel laureates, both in total and per capita.[8][9] Several factors have been suggested as possible explanation, including large public funding for research,[10] the presence of highly ranked universities such as ETH Zürich and EPFL,[11] and the neutrality of Switzerland in the two World Wars, which attracted scientists from abroad.[9] The Nobel Prize has also been often recognized as being biased towards Western countries.[12][13][14] According to Nobel laureate Werner Arber, the large number of awards to Swiss nationals is "likely a statistical anomaly".[9]
"for his inspired writings which, while growing in boldness and penetration, exemplify the classical humanitarian ideals and high qualities of style"[29]
"for his discovery of the functional organization of the interbrain as a coordinator of the activities of the internal organs"[31] prize shared with Egas Moniz
"for their development of new methods for nuclear magnetic precision measurements and discoveries in connection therewith"[37] prize shared with Edward Mills Purcell
"for his discoveries relating to synthetic compounds that inhibit the action of certain body substances, and especially their action on the vascular system and the skeletal muscles"[38]
8 April 1938 in Kumasi, Gold Coast acquired honorary citizenship from Geneva in 2001[9]{{refn|group=nb|In Swiss law, a honorary citizenship does not have the same effects of naturalization.[57]
"for acting as a link between the peace societies of the various countries, and helping them to organize the world rallies of the international peace movement"[60]
"for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change"[71] prize shared with Al Gore
^The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences is an additional prize that was established in 1968 by the Bank of Sweden and was first awarded in 1969. Although not technically a Nobel Prize, it is identified with the award and the winners are announced with the Nobel Prize recipients, and the Prize in Economic Sciences is presented at the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony.[1]
^Some lists, such as the one published by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, count a total of 30 individuals[5] including some that acquired the nationality after the award, as well as Hermann Staudinger, German national who was a Swiss resident.[6]
^The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland reports that Theiler was Swiss citizen by birth to a Swiss parent; he later acquired honorary citizenship from Hasle in 1952.[34] A SERI report states he held Swiss citizenship at the time of the award.[35]
^Pauli's initial application for Swiss citizenship in 1940 was refused as he was deemed "not assimilable".[53]
^ abcdSWI swissinfo.ch (23 July 2009). "Die Schweiz im Nobel-Boom". SWI swissinfo.ch (in German). Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
^Rothschild, Miriam (1999). "Tadeus Reichstein. 20 July 1897 — 1 August 1996: Elected For.Mem.R.S. 1952". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 45: 449–467. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1999.0030. ISSN0080-4606.