*February 3, 1948; † October 5, 2015 The city of Osnabrück honors the writer and theater director HENNING MANKELL with the Erich Maria Remarque Peace Prize for his work on Africa.

Since 1972, Henning Mankell has had a special relationship with Africa. When he took over the management of the Teatro Avenida in Maputo/Mozambique in 1986, this country became a second home for him. His life and work on the ground inspired him to create an expressive body of work about Africa that has reached people all over the world. "The Chronicler of the Winds," "I Die, but Memory Lives," and "The Whispering Souls" deserve special mention as works of world literary rank.

His work and actions correspond in an outstanding way to the words of the writer Erich Maria Remarque: "My theme is the man of this century - the question of humanity."

Osnabrück, September 18, 2009