Peter Handke
Awards & Honours
6
Awards Won
4
Honours
2
Rankings
3
Covers
2
Records
Peter Handke's literary achievements are extraordinary. He is one of only a few German-language authors to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and his works have been translated into dozens of languages. His play Kaspar became one of the most performed German plays of the century, and his collaboration with Wim Wenders on Wings of Desire is considered a cinematic masterpiece. Handke's willingness to push boundaries and his linguistic ingenuity have earned him a lasting place in world literature.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Honorary Doctorate from the University of Vienna
Awarded post-Nobel for his contributions to literature.
Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
One of Germany's highest civilian honors.
Honorary Citizen of Klagenfurt
Recognizing his literary achievements and ties to the city.
Member of the Academy of Arts, Berlin
Inducted as a member of the prestigious arts academy.
Rankings & Lists
100 Most Influential People of the 21st Century
Top 100 German Writers
Magazine Covers
Der Spiegel
1973
Cover story on his Georg Büchner Prize win
The New Yorker
2019
Profile on his Nobel Prize announcement
Le Monde
2019
Extensive coverage of his Nobel win
Records & Feats
First Austrian to win Nobel Prize in Literature since Elfriede Jelinek in 2004
Handke's 2019 Nobel win made him the second Austrian to receive the honor in the 21st century.
Returned the Georg Büchner Prize money in protest
In 1999, Handke returned the prize money from Germany's highest literary honor to protest NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia, a unique act in the prize's history.