The prestigious ceremony of giving the award by the Foreign Affairs Ministers of Poland and Germany took place on 8 December, 2008, in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. The Co-chairman of the Award Committee prof. Bartoszewski emphasised that the Krzyżowa Foundation symbolises the ‘importance and continuity of Polish-German relations’.
The Polish-German Award was created under the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between Poland and Germany from 1991 for special merits for development of Polish – German relations. The award is given to Polish and German persons and institutions. Among others, the following people and institutions have been presented with the award so far: Willy Brandt (posthumously); the former Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the fathers of the award, Krzysztof Skubiszewski and Hand-Dietrich Genscher; Tadeusz Mazowiecki; countess Dönhoff; European University Viadrina; GFPS Society for Science and Culture in Eastern and Central Europe; in 2006 the committee awarded bishop Alfons Nossol from Opole.
