Prize Winners 2005
On September 6, 2005 the Prize Committee of the International Balzan Foundation has announced the four Balzan Prize Winners 2005 as well as the four Prize Award Fields for 2006 at a press conference in Milan, Italy.

In the category of Humanities, Social Sciences and the Arts

History of the art of Asia: Lothar Ledderose, Germany
Social and cultural history of cities since the beginning of the 16th century: Peter Hall, UK

In the category of Physics, Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Medicine

Population biology: Peter R. Grant and Rosemary Grant, UK/USA
Mineral physics: Russell J. Hemley, USA and Ho-kwang (David) Mao, USA/China

The value of each Balzan Prize is CHF 1 million. Each Prize Winner will donate half the prize money of CHF 1 million to research projects involving young researchers in the Prize Winner's field.

http://www.balzan.com/index_en.cfm

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Purpose of the Foundation

The International Balzan Foundation holds the annual presentation of the Balzan Prizes alternately in Berne/Switzerland and Rome/Italy. The Balzan Prize is one of the highest awards for science, culture and humanitarian achievement, ranking close to the Nobel Prize. In contrast to other foundations, the fields in which prizes will be awarded are newly designated each year.

Since 1961, 100 people and humanitarian institutions have been honoured with the Balzan Prize, and more than 48 million Swiss francs have been paid out in prize money.

http://www.balzan.com/en/ueberuns/stiftungszweck.cfm

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The Founders

Eugenio Balzan and his daughter Angela Lina Balzan created the basis to establish a foundation of international significance.

Eugenio Balzan
Born in 1874, Eugenio Balzan worked for many years as a journalist on Milan's "Corriere della Sera" newspaper. He gradually advanced to become its managing director and co-owner. As well as being a gifted journalist, Balzan was also a successful businessman and prudent financier. He invested his assets in Switzerland. In 1933 he abandoned Italy in oppositon to fascism, and moved to Switzerland where he lived until his death on July 15, 1953. It is for this reason that the Balzan Foundation today still has one headquarters in Switzerland and one in Italy.

The life of Eugenio Balzan is documented in a biography written by Renata Broggini.

Angela Lina Balzan
On the death of her father, Angela Lina Balzan (who was born in 1892) inherited his substantial estate. By that time, she was already suffering from an incurable illness. Shortly before her death on March 1, 1957, she gave instructions in her will for the Balzan Foundation to be established in Lugano/Switzerland in honour of her father.

http://www.balzan.com/en/ueberuns/stiftungsgruender.cfm

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Das Institut für Kunstgeschichte Ostasiens der Universität Heidelberg freut sich mitzuteilen, daß der Institutsleiter Prof. Lothar Ledderose mit dem Balzan-Preis 2005 ausgezeichnet wird.

Der Balzan-Preis zählt neben dem Nobel-Preis zu den angesehensten
Auszeichnungen weltweit.
Die Internationale Balzan-Stiftung vergibt seit 1961 jährlich eine nicht
verbindlich festgesetzte Anzahl von Preisen in jeweils wechselnden
Preisgebieten. Neben humänitären und kulturellen Verdiensten werden auch
herausragende Leistungen aus Wissenschaft und Forschung ausgezeichnet.

Prof Ledderose wird für seine langjährige Forschungsarbeit im Bereich der ostasiatischen Kunstgeschichte mit Schwerpunkt auf der Erschließung der Steininschriften Nordostchinas ausgezeichnet.

Zusammen mit Lothar Ledderose werden geehrt:

- Peter Hall, Grossbritannien (Sozial- und Kulturgeschichte der Stadt seit
Anfang des 16. Jahrhunderts)

- Peter R. Grant und Rosemary Grant, Grossbritannien (Populationsbiologie)

- Russel J. Hemley, USA und Ho-kwang David Mao, USA/China (Mineralphysik)

Der Preis wird am Freitag, 11. November 2005 im Bundeshaus in Bern durch den
Vorsteher des Eidgenössischen Departements des Innern verliehen.

Alle Mitarbeiter des Institutes freuen sich mit Prof. Ledderose und
übermitteln ihre herzlichen Glückwünsche.

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Heidelberg Academy of Science, Research Unit "Buddhist Stone Inscriptions in China"
Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Forschungsstelle "Buddhistische Steinschriften in China"
http://www.haw.baden-wuerttemberg.de/seiten/forschung/forschungsstellen/buddhistische_inschriften.php

http://www.haw.baden-wuerttemberg.de/seiten/presse/aktuell/budd.php
http://www.sino.uni-heidelberg.de/akademie/

 

 

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with kind regards,

Matthias Arnold
(Art-Eastasia list)

http://www.chinaresource.org
http://www.fluktor.de

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