The Nobel Peace Prize 1922 was awarded to Fridtjof Nansen "for his leading role in the repatriation of prisoners of war, in international relief work and as the League of Nations' High Commissioner for refugees"
<h3> Enhanced Page Navigation </h3> <ol> <li> <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1922/nansen/facts/" title="Fridtjof Nansen - Facts" data-related="1" > Fridtjof Nansen - Facts </a> </li> </ol> Nobel Peace Prize 1922 Summary LaureatesFridtjof Nansen Facts Biographical Nobel Prize lecture Nominations Documentary Photo gallery Article Speed read Other resources Presentation Speech Share this Facebook X LinkedIn Email this page Fridtjof Nansen Facts Navigate to: Summary-- Facts-- Biographical-- Nobel Prize lecture-- Nominations-- Documentary-- Photo gallery-- Article-- Speed read-- Other resources Presentation Speech <img src="https://www.nobelprize.org/images/nansen-12928-portrait-medium.jpg" alt="Fridtjof Nansen" />Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive. Fridtjof Nansen Nobel Peace Prize 1922 Born: 10 October 1861, Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway Died: 13 May 1930, Oslo, Norway Residence at the time of the award: Norway Role: Scientist; Explorer; Norwegian Delegate, Société des Nations; Originator of Nansen passports (for refugees) Prize motivation: “for his leading role in the repatriation of prisoners of war, in international relief work and as the League of Nations' High Commissioner for refugees” Prize share: 1/1 Polar Explorer and High Commissioner for Refugees In 1922, the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen became the first High Commissioner for Refugees appointed by the League of Nations. After the First World War, he was in charge of the exchanges of 400,000 prisoners of war between Russia, Germany, and the former Austria-Hungary. Nansen also engaged in humanitarian relief work in 1921, during the severe famine in the Soviet Union. His work on behalf of prisoners of war and starving people earned him the Peace Prize. Nansen was a scientist, polar hero, political activist and diplomat. He got a PhD in zoology in 1888. In the same year, he was the first to cross Greenland's inland ice. He subsequently failed to reach the North Pole, but became internationally famous nevertheless. Nansen was a nationalist activist when Norway broke out of its union with Sweden in 1905. After 1922, the League of Nations provided “Nansen passports” to stateless refugees to enable them to cross national borders. Nansen was himself made responsible for separating Greeks and Turks after the war between the two countries. In the last years of his life, he took up the Armenian cause. To cite this section MLA style: Fridtjof Nansen – Facts. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach 2026. Wed. 20 May 2026. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1922/nansen/facts/> Go to the top of the page Nobel Prizes and laureates Nobel Prizes 2025 Six prizes were awarded for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The 14 laureates' work and discoveries range from quantum tunnelling to promoting democratic rights. See them all presented here. <img src="https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2024/06/nobelprizes_2025-scaled.jpg" alt="Illustration" /> Explore prizes and laureates Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize. Select the category or categories you would like to filter by Physics Chemistry Medicine Literature Peace Economic Sciences Select the category or categories you would like to filter by Physics Chemistry Medicine Literature Peace Economic Sciences - Choose a year you would like to search in + Explore