The 1998 Nobel Prizewinners in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and economics received their awards from King Carl Gustaf of Sweden yesterday at a ceremony in Stockholm's Concert Hall.
The laureates received their prizes one by one amid royal fanfare and music by Mozart, Schubert and others, performed by Sweden's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Each prize was introduced by Swedish experts in the various disciplines.
The laureates are Horstl Stroemer of Germany and Robert F. Laughlin and Daniel Tsui of the US for physics; American Walter Kohn and Briton John A. Pople for chemistry; Robert F. Furchgott, Louis Ignarro and Ferid Murad of the US for medicine; Jose Saramago of Portugal for literature and Amartya Sen of India for economics.
This time only nine laureates were present, as the chemistry winner, Walter Kohn, was prevented from travelling due to illness in his family, and will receive his award at next year's ceremony.
The audience gave the warmest applause to the economics prizewinner, Amartya Sen, and the literature laureate, Jose Saramago.
Among the 1,800 guests attending the ceremony were members of the Swedish royal family, ministers, professors and business leaders. The 15 members of the Swedish Academy, who choose the prizewinners each year, sat behind the laureates.
The ceremony is held every year on the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel in 1896.
After the ceremony the 1,246 guests invited to an awards dinner were taken by bus to the City Hall, where 26 people had worked for two days to set the banquet tables.