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Awards · Nobel PrizeFirst

First Jewish Woman to Win a Nobel Prize

Record holder

Nelly SachsPerson

Record value

10 December 1966

Country represented: SwedenAchievement location: Stockholm, SwedenAchievement date: 10 December 1966Current record

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Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Nelly Sachs

Anonymous, 1910 / Wikimedia CommonsSourcePublic domain

Official record definition

The earliest woman who satisfied the JWR Jewish Eligibility Standard at the time of achievement and personally received a Nobel Prize in any Nobel category. Shared prizes count; nominations and later-acquired eligibility are excluded.

Measurement methodology

Complete Nobel women-laureate chronology through 1966 combined with JWR Jewish Eligibility at Achievement review and counter-candidate analysis.

Measurement point: Personal receipt of a Nobel Prize

Record story

German-born Swedish poet Nelly Sachs became the first Jewish woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1966; she received her medal and diploma from the Swedish king at the Stockholm ceremony on 10 December 1966, her 75th birthday. In a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, she was awarded the 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature, which she shared with S. Y. Agnon. The official Record Value is "10 December 1966", the date of the Stockholm Nobel Prize ceremony when she received her medal and diploma. Her poetry was recognised for giving a voice to Jewish persecution, exile, and remembrance after the Holocaust.

The 'first' status is established by an analysis of the complete chronology of female Nobel laureates through 1966. While Gerty Cori was an earlier recipient of a Nobel Prize, she does not qualify for this record because she converted to Catholicism in 1920. Under the specific rule requiring Jewish eligibility at the time of achievement, Cori is not a counter-candidate. The Jewish Women’s Archive explicitly identifies Sachs as the first Jewish woman to win a Nobel Prize.

Media

Record video
The Nobel Prize - Nelly Sachs — educational commentary about the poet, the literary work for which she was honoured, and her 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature. Not footage of the ceremony.

How JWR verified this record

Verification status
Verified
Verification date
3 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

NobelPrize.org confirms Nelly Sachs as a joint recipient of the 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature and the Stockholm prize presentation on 10 December 1966.

Superiority evidence

Jewish Women’s Archive explicitly identifies Sachs as the first Jewish woman to win a Nobel Prize. JWR independently checked the complete Nobel women-laureate chronology through 1966; the earlier Gerty Cori edge case does not displace Sachs under Eligibility-at-Achievement because Cori converted to Catholicism in 1920.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • Women Nobel Laureates — Jewish Women’s Archive
  • Nelly Leonie Sachs — Jewish Women’s Archive
  • Jewish Women in the Arts: Nobel Prize Winner Nelly Sachs — World Jewish Congress

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • Nelly Sachs — Facts — Nobel Prize Outreach / NobelPrize.org
  • 1966 Nobel Prize Ceremony — Nelly Sachs and S. Y. Agnon — National Library of Israel
  • The Nobel Prize - Nelly Sachs — Literatur.e with John K. Noyes / YouTube
  • Nelly Sachs - 1910 image — Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons
  • Nobel Prize in Literature Awarded to Shmuel Yosef Agnon and Nelly Sachs — Israeli Film Archive / Jerusalem Cinematheque
  • Nelly Sachs — 1966 Nobel Prize presentation and ceremony footage — The Nobel Prize

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • Nobel Prize awarded women — Nobel Prize Outreach / NobelPrize.org

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Have documented contrary evidence or a stronger counter-candidate? Submit a challenge for review.

View public sourcesChallenge this record

Sources & Verification

  • Nelly Sachs — Facts

    Official recordNobel Prize Outreach / NobelPrize.org

    What this proves: Confirms Nelly Sachs as the 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate and provides official biographical context.

  • Nobel Prize awarded women

    Official recordNobel Prize Outreach / NobelPrize.org

    What this proves: Provides the official chronology of women Nobel laureates used to establish the FIRST counter-candidate universe.

  • Women Nobel Laureates

    Independent publicationJewish Women’s Archive

    What this proves: Explicitly identifies Nelly Sachs as the first Jewish woman to win a Nobel Prize.

  • Nelly Leonie Sachs

    Independent publicationJewish Women’s Archive

    What this proves: Documents Sachs's Jewish identity, life and literary context.

  • Jewish Women in the Arts: Nobel Prize Winner Nelly Sachs

    Independent publicationWorld Jewish Congress

    What this proves: Independently identifies Sachs as a Jewish Nobel Prize winner and provides Jewish cultural context.

  • 1966 Nobel Prize Ceremony — Nelly Sachs and S. Y. Agnon

    Primary sourceNational Library of Israel

    What this proves: Collection of 55 photographs documents 10 December 1966 Nobel presentation to Nelly Sachs and S. Y. Agnon.

  • The Nobel Prize - Nelly Sachs

    Primary sourceLiteratur.e with John K. Noyes / YouTube

    What this proves: Educational video about the poet’s Nobel recognition and literary writing; selected as record-specific context, distinct from WJC holder biography.

  • Nelly Sachs - 1910 image — Wikimedia Commons

    Primary sourceWikimedia Commons

    What this proves: The Hero photograph is catalogued as Nelly Sachs in 1910, anonymous photographer; public-domain attribution. Born 1891, so she was about 18 or 19 in image. Image subject attribution is documentary, not independent facial matching.

  • Nobel Prize in Literature Awarded to Shmuel Yosef Agnon and Nelly Sachs

    Primary sourceIsraeli Film Archive / Jerusalem Cinematheque

    What this proves: 1966 archival newsreel directly shows Sachs and Agnon receiving Nobel prizes from the Swedish king. Reuse expressly requires prior written permission.

  • Nelly Sachs — 1966 Nobel Prize presentation and ceremony footage

    Primary sourceThe Nobel Prize

    What this proves: Nobel foundation expressly identifies video of Nelly Sachs receiving the Nobel medal and diploma in Stockholm on 10 December 1966.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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