The award has been granted since 2004 and was established by Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, the College of Eastern Europe, the city of Wrocław, the University of Wrocław, and the Ossoliński National Institute. The award is presented annually on June 4th to a person or institution demonstrating "thinking about the state as a common good."

The award committee was established by Jan Nowak-Jeziorański and was expanded after his death. It also includes representatives of the institutions granting the award. The committee's secretariat is located at the Jan Nowak-Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe in Wojnowice. The secretary is Dr. Adolf Juzwenko, director of the Ossoliński National Institute in Wrocław.

2022

Memorial Society

2021

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Volha Kavalkova & Maria Kalesnikava

2020

Hanna Suchocka

2019

Joachim Gauck

2018

Shevah Weiss

2017

Henryk Gulbinowicz

2016

Borys Gudziak

2015

Tomas Venclova

2014

Zbigniew Brzeziński

2013

The Kultura Literary Institute Association

2012

Valdas Adamkus

2011

Jerzy Koźmiński

2010

Leszek Balcerowicz

2009

Václav Havel

2008

Sergei Kovalev

2007

Jean-Marie Lustiger

2006

Stanislau Shushkevich

2005

George H. W. Bush

2004

Tadeusz Mazowiecki