Former German president Joachim Gauck receives Charles IV Prize

Former German president Joachim Gauck has been awarded the Charles IV Prize, a distinction bestowed by the city of Prague and Charles University to persons known for their outstanding contribution to culture, politics or economics. The former German president received the award for his contribution to Czech-German relations and his commitment to defending human rights.

In his speech at the award ceremony at Charles University Gauck emphasised the importance of the EU as a community defending the values of freedom, democracy and rule of law.

Previous recipients of the award include leading personalities in the fields of philosophy, music and medicine such as Paul Ricoeur, Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, John Foxton Ross Kerr, and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg.