Berlin promotes peace

Every year, eight Prince of Asturias awards, named after Spain's Crown Prince Felipe, are given out to people or institutions that make a significant contribution to promoting peace and harmony. Award-winners come from a vast array of fields, from the arts to sciences to sports - and this year, the jury counted the city of Berlin among its honorees.

"The Berlin Wall, symbol of Europe's reunification of Germany, was for decades the worldwide representation of the Cold War," the jury said in a statement.

"The peaceful revolution, which on November 1989 led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and subsequently to the reunification of Germany, has captivated millions of people worldwide, contributing significantly towards the reestablishment of the balance between the East and West."

Berlin's Mayor Klaus Wowereit said the prize – worth 50,000 euros ($72,600) – was "an extraordinary honor" and that the city would accept it "in the name of the whole country."

He added that the award "is another international recognition of the peaceful revolution of 1989, which changed the world so positively."

The prize includes a sculpture by artist Joan Miro.

Past winners include Ingrid Betancourt, the Colombian presidential candidate who was rescued after six years in a FARC rebel camp, Jerusalem's Holocaust Museum, and J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series.

vj/AFP/AP
Editor: Nancy Isenson