Regulations of the Duke d'Arenberg History Prizes

  1. “The Arenberg History Prizes” are literary awards given every two years by the Arenberg Foundation to reward excellence and innovation in exploring Europe’s history, culture, and thought. Works that are original in their approach, have a wide scope, are both readable and scholarly, as well as are accessible to a wide public are eligible for submission.
    1. 1 - The Arenberg European History Prize:
      Worth 4,000 Euros to the winning author, the Arenberg European History Prize is awarded to the best work that sheds new light on Europe’s history. The Prize Committee will look particularly favourably on works relating to the former Seventeen Provinces of the Low Countries, the territories of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (and to the Rhineland and Westphalia in particular), and northern France and that have a comparative approach. The prize is also open to works that use the tools of the historian to inspire debate about Europe’s present and future.
    2. 2 - The House of Arenberg History Prize:
      The House of Arenberg History Prize comes with a cash award of 1,000 Euros and is awarded to the best work that makes use of archival collections relating to the House of Arenberg, in particular those located in Arras, Brussels, Cambrai, Koblenz, Douai, Düsseldorf, Enghien, Louvain, Osnabrück, Paris, Salzburg, and Vienna.
  2. The monetary awards associated with the Arenberg History Prizes are not split, nor, will they be increased if no prize is awarded in any bi-annually cycle.
  3. The two prizes are awarded bi-annually to works published in either Dutch, English, French, or German. With the prior approval of the Secretariat of the Arenberg Foundation, works published in other European languages may also be submitted.
  4. Entries must be published within two years prior to the date of intended submission.
  5. Works submitted may be the work of one or more authors. They will usually take the form of a book, or a collection of articles. Only published works are eligible for the 'Arenberg European History Prize'. For the 'House of Arenberg History Prize', they may also be submitted in typed form. Collections of articles must be coherent in their content, and, for the ‘Arenberg European History Prize’, must be accessible to a wider audience.
  6. For the 'Arenberg History Prize', the Prize Committee reserves the right to reward works of exceptional literary merit (poetry or prose), musical composition, artistic creation (painting, sculpture, drawing), architectural creation, or classification or restoration of archives which were conducted in the spirit of the Arenberg European History Prize. In such cases, the committee may act on its own initiative or on request.
  7. A Prize Committee has been appointed to select the prize winners. Membership of the committee and its mode of operation are governed by specific regulations.
  8. Candidates for the prizes shall submit two copies of their work. Submissions must clearly indicate if they are made for the 'The Arenberg Prize for European History' or 'The History Prize for the House of Arenberg' and must carry the name, title, address, and telephone number of the author. It is recommended that authors include electronic versions of their Works in their submissions.
  9. All documents to be submitted have to reach the Secretariat of the Arenberg Foundation before 31 January of the year in which the prize is awarded.
  10. The members of the Prize Committee or publishers may propose candidates for the prizes on their own initiative, within the same deadlines as those for the submissions by candidates.
  11. The Arenberg Foundation reserves the right to keep copies of the works submitted for their archives.
  12. The Prize Committee may, if it so chooses, request the assistance of eminent specialists in particular fields with a view to assessing the quality of the works submitted.
  13. All cases not covered by these regulations shall be decided by the Prize Committee after consultation with the Arenberg Foundation.
  14. The prizes shall be presented at a time and place of the Prize Committee's choosing, generally during the autumn of the year that the award is being made.

Duke d'Arenberg History Prizes: Awards Committee

  • Prof. Dr. Wim Blockmans, Gent - Leiden, Chairman
  • Prof. Dr. Claude-Isabelle Brelot, Lyon II - Paris
  • Prof. Dr. Jean-Marie Cauchies, Bruxelles
  • Prof. Dr. Hilde De Ridder-Symoens †, Gent
  • Dr. Elodie Lecuppre-Desjardins, Lille
  • Prof. Dr. Matthias Müller, Mainz
  • Marquis Olivier de Trazegnies, Corroy-le-Château
  • Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, Aberdeen
  • Prof. Jeroen Duindam, Leiden
  • Prof. dr. Marija Wakounig, Wien
  • Prof. dr. Beatrice de Graaf, Utrecht

Contact details:

Arenberg Foundation, Edingen - Enghien
6-8 rue de l'Yser, B-7850 Enghien, Belgium
Tel/fax : ++32 (0)2.3959141
E-mail : aca@skynet.be