Doctor Honoris Causa Degree Awarded to Elie Wiesel

15 December 2008

 

Prof. Elie Wiesel

On December 15, 2008, Prof. Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and Jewish writer, author of 57 books and numerous essays and memoirs, received the honorary doctorate degree from Gdańsk University for his “ability to prove that language and literature can preserve the memory of a truly inhuman experience, so that this memory can protect us from the return of the Evil.” Prof. Wiesel also received the Jan Karski Eagle Award for his literary achievements in "teaching how to recognize the absolute evil of the Holocaust".

Wiesel's writing is considered among the most important in Holocaust literature.  His best known book, Night, is a memoir that describes his experiences during the Holocaust and his imprisonment in several concentration camps. Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for speaking out against violence, repression, and racism. He has received many other prizes and honors for his work.