Being awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, he criticized in his acceptance speech that the debate about the Third Reich's cruelties was overestimated in the intellectual and everyday life in Germany. His statement arouse an emotional public discussion. Ignatz Bubis, influential chairman of the
Central Council of Jews in Germany, accused Walser of wanting to "normalize" the Nazi past. Their following, partly furious dispute was later called "The Walser-Bubis Debate" (11 October 1998).
