Paul Grueninger Prize 2023
Invitation to Apply. December 2022
The Prize
In memory of Paul Grueninger (1891 – 1972), former chief of St. Gallen’s cantonal police force who rescued so many refugees‘ lives, the Paul Grueninger Foundation, St. Gallen, is awarding a prize of SFR 50,000 for exceptional humanity and exceptional courage.
Who was Paul Grueninger?
In the years 1938/1939, St. Gallen’s Chief of Police Captain Paul Grueninger saved several hundred Jewish and other refugees‘ lives from Nazi persecution and extermination. Although Switzerland had closed its borders, he allowed them to enter the canton of St. Gallen, thus disregarding federal directives and even violating legal acts in order to protect the refugees.
In 1939, Paul Grueninger was dismissed without notice by the cantonal government.
In 1940, he was convicted by the district court of St. Gallen of violating the duties of his office and of falsifying legal documents. He was ostracized and later forgotten. He lived in poverty the rest of his life.
In 1993, Paul Grueninger was vindicated by the government of St. Gallen.
In 1994, the Swiss Federal Government issued a declaration to publicly clear Paul Grueninger’s name.
In 1995, the district court of St. Gallen rehabilitated Captain Paul Grueninger by reopening his trial and by acquitting him.
In 1998, the cantonal parliament of St. Gallen approved a financial disbursement and granted Paul Grueninger’s descendants compensation for the losses in salaries and pension claims caused by his dismissal without notice. The descendants turned the total sum over to the Paul Grueninger Foundation. The Paul Grueninger Prize is entirely financed by this Fund.
The Criteria for the Prize
The Paul Grueninger Prize will be awarded to individuals and organizations who distinguish themselves by remarkable humanity, remarkable courage and remarkable impartiality.
Humanity means a commitment to human rights in general as well as commitment to people who are threatened, persecuted and discriminated against.
Courage means civil courage in public as well as unselfish aid in private.
Impartiality means mental independence from secular, religious, economic and political powers as well as freedom from bias put into practice in everyday life.
The Paul Grueninger Prize shall be awarded to individuals or organizations who have made a significant, and personally risky contribution towards a world where people can live in freedom and dignity.
In 2022/2023, the Paul Grueninger Foundation is going to focus particularly on individuals and organizations that advocate for women’s rights.
To award the Paul Grueninger Prize shall always be a practical intervention and a clear sign. Far from being a mere material contribution, the Paul Grueninger Prize is meant to support its recipients in their commitment and, should they have suffered due to that commitment, the Paul Grueninger Prize is intended to add to the prizewinners‘ public vindication.
The Jury
The Paul Grueninger Prize is either awarded by the executive council of the Paul Grueninger Foundation following the nomination of a prize commission to be elected by the executive council, or directly through the executive council itself. The present members of the executive council are:
- Paul Rechsteiner, barrister, President of the Paul Grueninger Foundation, St. Gallen
- Dieter Roduner, secondary school teacher, grandson of the late Paul Grueninger and co-founder, Wagen
- Sarah Lanz-Roduner, physician, great-granddaughter of the late Paul Grueninger, Herisau
- Stefan Keller, journalist and vice-president of the Paul Grueninger Foundation, Zurich
- Valérie Boillat, historian, Geneva
- Nils de Dardel, barrister, Geneva
- Madeleine Dreyfus, psychoanalyst, Zurich
- Dorothee Elmiger, writer, New York
- Wolfgang Kaleck, barrister, general secretary ECCH, European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, Berlin
- Claudia Kaufmann, jurist, former ombudswoman of the City of Zurich
- Tina Leisch, director, Vienna
- Jacques Picard, professor emeritus of Modern Jewish History and Cultures, Basel
- Martin Pollack, writer, Bocksdorf
- Kaspar Surber, journalist, St. Gallen and Zurich
- Dina Wyler, political scientist, Zurich
Well-founded and well-documented applications for the 2023 award are to be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than February 28, 2023, to the St. Gallen office of the Paul Grueninger Foundation.
Paul Grueninger Foundation
Paul Rechsteiner
Oberer Graben 44
CH-9000 St. Gallen
Switzerland
sekretariat@paul-grueninger.ch
www.paul-grueninger.ch
www.paul-grueninger.ch
Individuals as well as organizations are entitled to submit applications and proposals.