On 29th July 1990 Bruno Kreisky died in Vienna, after a long and serious illness. The family asked that donations go to the Kreisky Foundation for Human Rights. The foundation received around € 60,000 (ATS 800,000). At the 6th award ceremonies on 18th January 1991 at the Vienna City Hall, the largest number of award winners yet were honoured.

In line with the long standing emphasis on the fight against apartheid, the Congress of South African Trade Unions was honoured, as was the Austrian Anti-Apartheid Movement and Horst Kleinschmidt, general secretary of the International Defence and Aid Fund for South Africa, in London.

Prize winners from the Middle East were Yael Dayan, Faisal Husseini, the International Centre for Peace in the Middle East and Felicia Langer.

Felicia Langer and Alfred Ströer.	Marion Countess Dönhoff giving the laudatory speech 1991.

In the context of the fight for human rights in Turkey and for the rights of the Kurds, Insan Haklari Dernegi, the Turkish Human Rights Association and Jalal Talabani were honoured. The award ceremony took place against the background of the Second Gulf War (2 August 1990 - 27 February 1991). Both Faisal Husseini and Jalal Talabani had to cancel their participation at the award ceremony. Jalal Talabani was elected president of Iraq on 6 April, 2005.

The long-standing emphasis on Central and South America was extended in drawing attention to the rights of the indigenous peoples. Prize winners in this area were the leaders of the indigenous peoples of Kayapoo, Paulinho Paiakan and the bishop of Altimira, Erwin Kräutler.

	„The concept of freedom has not only a political but also a material dimension. In accordance with that, the free society should be so organised as to provide freedom from coercion and freedom from misery.“ Bruno Kreisky, Speech at the Alpbach Forum, 3. September 1976
Paulinho Paiakan, chief of the Kayapoo people prize winner 1991.

The Standing Committee for National Dialogue in El Salvador and the prominent Columbian human rights expert, diplomat and politician Alfredo Vázquez Carrizosa also received awards. The peaceful revolution in east Europe fundamentally changed the human rights situation in Europe.

Bärbel Bohley was honoured for her many years of struggle against human rights abuses under the DDR regime and her engagement for the victims of judicial persecution by perpetrators of the Stasi regime. The Poznán Human Rights Centre arose from the Polish civil rights movement and quickly developed into one of the most important centres for human rights research in East Europe.

Bärbel Bohley accepting the award from Alfred Ströer.	Rupert Neudeck receiving the prize from Alfred Ströer.	l. to r.: Alfred Ströer, Oliver Rathkolb, Liesl Frankl und Stefan Lütgenau.

The human rights situation of migrants in Europe and the world continued to be of growing importance. In this area the Komitee Cap Anamur, the Social Services at Schwechat airport, the Aid Committee for Refugees in Austria, the Association of Women's Solidarity and the journalist Liesl Frankl had distinguished themselves by special services.

Other award winners were the Society for Endangered Peoples Vienna, CARE Austria, the Austrian Red Cross and the Sciencestore, Linz.