Copernicus Award Copernicus Award The Nicolaus Copernicus Polish-German Research Award (also known as Copernicus Award) is a biannual science award conferred by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Foundation for Polish Science "to the individuals most active in Polish-German scientific cooperation who have made exceptional research achievements as a result of that cooperation." The award was established in 2006 and is named after Renaissance astronomer and polymath Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543). It carries a cash prize of €200,000 shared equally by two winners, one from Germany and one from Poland. In order to be eligible for the award, candidates must have at least a doctoral degree
Astronomer Copernicus, or Conversations with God which he portrayed in the ironic self-Portrait (he would finish "Astronomer Copernicus..." in a new studio in early 1873). The organizers of the festivities in Kraków were not supportive of Matejko's endeavour, and did not plan to display his painting during the official festivities. The German council of Toruń approached Matejko with an offer to buy it, but he refused, probably motivated by Polish patriotism, preferring instead to organize his own exhibition in Kraków. He was able to organize a display in February, in Kraków's City Council building, the Wielopolski Palace; profits from the display were donated to charity. The