January 2012
To the 100th Birthday of
Raoul Wallenberg (4th August 1912 - ?)
New permanent Exhibition at the
Wall Museum – Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie
The President of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan: "(Today) I’m signing the bill to make Raoul Wallenberg an honorary citizen of the United States. But in making him a United States citizen, I think we’re the ones that are being honoured.”
The Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg rescued 100,000 people, predominantly Jews living in Budapest from 1944 to 1945, from certain death at the hands of the National Socialists. Following the occupation of Budapest by the Soviet army, the Soviets arrested Raoul Wallenberg at the 17th January 1945 and took him to Moscow, where he vanished without trace.No one is ready to accept the idea of his death as long as the facts of his fate remain a mystery.
The Action Group Against Inhumanity, founded and headed by Dr. Rainer Hildebrandt, provided help to people searching for missing political prisoners. News of the Action Group's activities had spread abroad, and so it was that the parents of Raoul Wallenberg, Fredrik and Maj von Dardel turned to Dr. Hildebrandt, who later founded our museum, for help.
Following the death of Raoul Wallenberg's parents his siblings, Nina und Guy, took up the search. Raoul's brother, Guy von Dardel, headed the investigations, assisted by a legion of friends and supporters that included Albert Einstein and Andrei Sakharov. A number of influential heads of state lodged official requests with the Soviet leadership that they move to shed light on the fate of Raoul Wallenberg.
Speakers at the festive inauguration were Dr. Rudolf Seiters, President of the German Red Cross, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden, the Ambassador of Hungary, the Ambassador of Israel and Marie Dupuy, niece of Raoul Wallenberg. Marie Dupuy appealed: “There must be the political will to learn the truth.”
Wall Museum – Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie
Alexandra Hildebrandt, Chairwoman of the Wall Museum - Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie; Dr. Rudolf Seiters, President of the German Red Cross
from the left: Dr. Rudolf Seiters, President of the German Red Cross; Sooki, Painter; Marie Dupuy, Niece of Raoul Wallenberg; Alexandra Hildebrandt, Chairwoman of the Wall Museum - Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie
Emmanuel Nahshon, Envoy and Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of Israel; Alexandra Hildebrandt, Chairwoman of the Wall Museum -Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie
Guests of the exhibition
Guests of the exhibition
Alexandra Hildebrandt, Chairwoman of the Wall Museum - Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie
Dr. Rudolf Seiters, President of the German Red Cross
H.E. Staffan Carlsson, Ambassador of Sweden
Dr. Katalin Karsai, Envoy of the Embassy of Hungary as representative of H.E. Dr. József Czukor, Ambassador of Hungary
Marie Dupuy, Niece of Raoul Wallenberg |
