Nobel Peace Center’s exhibition on EU opened in Brussels

“This is a very important moment for our institution”, President Martin Schulz said, as he opened Nobel Peace Center’s exhibition Europe from War to Peace in the European Parliament’s Parlamentarium visitors center in Brussels today.

“In Parlamentarium Europe from War to Peace has found its perfect home away from home. I hope the exhibition will spur reflection and dialogue about the Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 2012 – the European Union”, the Deputy Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Kaci Kullmann Five, stated at the opening.

The exhibition is identical to the one opened by Martin Schulz at the Nobel Peace Center in December, and the EU have now brought it to the heart of Europem to make it available to a greater European audience. The Nobel Peace Prize medal and diploma are also on display.

“We are honoured and happy that the Parlamentarium choose to show our exhibition,” Executive Director of the Nobel Peace Center, Bente Erichsen says.

The exhibition shows how Europe has developed from a continent of war to a continent of peace, and contains iconic photographs from pivotal moments of Europe’s history. In Brussels, a taste of the Nobel festivities in Oslo in December are also included.

In the exhibition, the presidents Herman Van Rompuy, José Manuel Barroso and Martin Schultz share their personal views on European collaboration and future in interviews made for the occasion. In both Brussels and Oslo, the public can give advice to the EU on what it can do for peace today. They will be delivered to the EU when the exhibitions end.

“Including EU’s Peace Prize medal and diploma on the opening day was a fun inclusion, and people were queuing to get photographed next to the medal”, Nobel Peace Center’s Director of Exhibitions, Liv Astrid Sverdrup said. 

The making of the official Nobel Peace Prize laureate exhibition is an annual occurrence. From October, when the Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee announces the new Peace Prize laureate, until the exhibition opens in December, a mere eight weeks goes by. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate exhibition on the EU is the eight one. The exhibition has previously been shown in other Peace Prize laureate’s headquarters, e.g. the exhibition on IAEA and Mohamad ElBaradei in Vienna, Austria and the one on Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank in Dakha, Bangladesh.

Parlamentarium - The European Parliament's Visitors' Centre 
Willy Brandt Building, Rue Wiertz 60/ Wiertzstraat 60, Brussel, Belgium 

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Brussels exhibition period: 15 May – 15 October 2013. 
Oslo exhibition period: 11 December 2012 – 26 November 2013.