Press release from the Nobel Prize Museum

The Nobel Prize Museum receives a pen that belonged to Ivo Andrić

17 March 2025 View in Swedish
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© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Nanaka Adachi

The Nobel Prize Museum is adding a fountain pen to its collection of artefacts from laureates. The pen belonged to author Ivo Andrić (1892–1975), who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961. At the museum in Stockholm to hand over the pen are representatives from the Belgrade City Museum, who have had this artefact in their possession.

The Belgrade City Museum runs several cultural institutions, including the Museum of Ivo Andrić, which opened in 1976 in keeping with the author’s wishes. The fountain pen is a reminder of the social and artistic commitment of Ivo Andrić and of the importance of the written word. 

“We are very pleased that a personal item from Ivo Andrić can become part of our collection. This artefact is our gateway to telling the story of his rich writings and his life in times of war and change,” says Erika Lanner, Director of the Nobel Prize Museum. 

“It is a great honour and pleasure for us to have the opportunity to enrich the collection of the Nobel Prize Museum with this donation. Being part of such an important collection and belonging to a circle of minds who have improved and enriched the world through their creativity is an enormous privilege. This fountain pen that Andrić used for his manuscripts is a symbol of writing, literature, and the dedication of an author who left his personal mark,” says Yelena Medaković, CEO of the Museum of Belgrade and the Ivo Andrić Museum.

The Nobel Prize Museum’s exhibition These Things Change the World shows for the first time a large selection from the museum’s collection of artefacts donated by Nobel Prize laureates. The exhibition displays more than 250 artefacts. Hidden in everyday objects such as a suitcase, a pair of nail scissors or a jar of peanut butter are stories of great discoveries, courageous peace efforts and innovative literature. These items also provide new and unexpected knowledge about the people behind the Nobel Prizes. Everyday items such as a suitcase, nail scissors or a jar of peanut butter hide stories of great discoveries, courageous peace efforts and innovative literature. The items also provide new and unexpected knowledge about the people behind the Nobel Prizes. 

Read more about Ivo Andrić.

Nobel Prize Museum

The Nobel Prize shows that ideas can change the world. The courage, creativity and perseverance of the Nobel Prize laureates inspire us and give us hope for the future. Films, in-depth tours, and artefacts tell the stories of the laureates and their contributions “for the greatest benefit to humankind”. Based on the Nobel Prize’s unique combination of fields – natural sciences, literature and peace – we examine the greatest challenges of our time and show how we can respond to them through science, humanism and collaboration. With our exhibitions, school programmes, lectures and conversations, we at the Nobel Prize Museum strive to engage the public in making a better world. Today we are located on Stortorget, the main square in Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town district. We are planning to create a new home for our public outreach activities at Slussen in central Stockholm.

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