Martin Bútora
Laureate of the 2025 edition
Martin Bútora is a sociologist, writer, university lecturer and diplomat. He was born on 7 October 1944 in Bratislava, where he also graduated from the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University. In the 1960s he was an editor of the magazines Echo, Reflex and Kultúrny život. After the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 he fell into political disfavour and for years worked as a sociologist and therapist at an alcohol addiction counselling centre.
Laureate profile
Martin Bútora is a sociologist, writer, university lecturer and diplomat. He was born on 7 October 1944 in Bratislava, where he also graduated from the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University. In the 1960s he was an editor of the magazines Echo, Reflex and Kultúrny život. After the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 he fell into political disfavour and for years worked as a sociologist and therapist
at an alcohol addiction counselling centre.
He was an active participant in the events of November 1989 and was present at the birth of the Public Against Violence (VPN) movement. He took part in building democratic institutions in free Czechoslovakia. From 1990 to 1992 he served as human rights adviser to President Václav Havel. In the 1990s he completed research fellowships at the universities of Oxford
and Princeton and at the Collegium Budapest.
In 1997 he founded the Institute for Public Affairs, which produced numerous publications, including important analyses of the state of democracy in Slovakia. He is the author of many studies and books on democracy, civil society, human rights, the position of minorities and foreign policy. He has lectured and spoken at more than 150 conferences, seminars and colloquia.
As Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the United States of America from 1999 to 2003, he played a key role in securing support for Slovakia’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance. His work has earned him a number of domestic and international awards, including the Democracy Service Medal from the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, the Order of Ľudovít Štúr, Second Class, for the defence of human rights and the development of civil society, the Crystal Wing Award for diplomacy, and the Liberty Award from the American Jewish Committee in Washington. He is a recipient of the Czech and Slovak Transatlantic Award and a laureate of the Biela vrana (White Crow) award.
Martin Bútora has always felt the need to speak out on post-November developments in Slovakia and on everything that has moved our country. He lives in Bratislava and remains an active voice in Slovak public debate.
With respect and gratitude, we pay tribute to him today for his lifelong contribution to a free, democratic and open Slovakia.