I, the undersigned, Alfred Bernhard Nobel, do hereby, after mature deliberation, declare the following to be my last Will and Testament with respect to such property as may be left by me at the time of my death:
To my nephews,
<snip... family, servants, etc.>
The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way: the capital, invested in safe securities by my executors, shall cons ute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.
The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: one part to the person who shall have made the
most important discovery or invention within the field of physics; one part to the person who shall have made the
most important chemical discovery or improvement; one part to the person who shall have made the
most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the
most outstanding work in an ideal direction; and one part to the person who shall have
done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses. The prizes for physics and chemistry shall be awarded by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; that for physiological or medical work by the Caroline Ins ute in Stockholm; that for literature by the Academy in Stockholm, and that for champions of peace by a committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Storting. It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration whatever shall be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be a Scandinavian or not.
<snip - other unrelated remarks to the prize>
Paris, 27 November, 1895
Alfred Bernhard Nobel