March 31, 2008

Carl Lutz Memorial Exhibition Opening in the United States Congress

The 'Carl Lutz and the Legendary Glass House in Budapest' exhibition solemnly opened in the United States Congress on Tuesday, March 24. The event was co-organized by the Carl Lutz Foundation (Budapest), Hungarian American Coalition (HAC), Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, and Mensch International Foundation, and the opening reception co-hosted with the Embassy of Switzerland, Embassy of Israel, and Embassy of Hungary.

 

President Max Teleki (HAC) opening the Carl Lutz Exhibition in the Senate Russell Office Building

The exhibition was officially opened by Max Teleki, President of the Hungarian American Coalition. The historical significance of Carl Lutz's actions and of the exhibition was praised by Péter Vámos, the son of György Vámos, President of the Carl Lutz Foundation, Senator George Voinovich, Senator Joe Lieberman and his wife, Hadassah Lieberman, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Dr. Katrina Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation, Annette Lantos, widow of the late Congressman Tom Lantos, Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor, Swiss Ambassador Urs Ziswiller, and Mr. Zoltán Gábor, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Hungary in Washington, DC.

 

Mr. Péter Vámos (Carl Lutz Foundation) emphasized the importance of the traveling exhibition in raising awareness about individuals who saved lives during the Holocaust
 

Senator George Voinovich juxtaposed international crimes to the Holocaust
 

Senator Joe Lieberman and his wife, Hadassah Lieberman shared their family recollections of the Holocaust
 

Congressman Dennis Kucinich rememberd his fellow Congressman Tom Lantos as a fighter for international human rights

 

Dr. Katrina Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation shared stories of his father, the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor member of the US Congress
 

Annette Lantos continues the work of her late husband, Congressman Tom Lantos, fighting for human rights worldwide
 

Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor stressed the common responsibility of humankind in that the crimes of Holocaust are never forgotten and never repeated
 

Swiss Ambassador Urs Ziswiller talked about the burden of personal choice and individual responsibility during WW2, the ultimate dilemma of the Holocaust
 

Hungarian DCM Zoltán Gábor announced that the exhibition is also the opening event of the Holocaust Memorial Month of the Embassy of Hungary
 

Hungarian Holocaust Survivor Jean Greenstein was saved by the actions of Carl Lutz and helped save and rescue his Jewish Hungarian fellow citizens
 

Members of the audience of the exhibition opening reception

With the help of his wife, Gertrud, Swiss Vice-Consul Carl Lutz rescued 62 thousands Jews in Budapest from deportation to Nazi death camps during WW2. From 1942 to 1945, he was in charge of issuing visas at the Swiss Embassy in Budapest. In that capacity, he issued tens of thousands of protective letters (“Schutzbriefe”) for Hungarian Jews, documents the Nazi officials only reluctantly recognized.

He also established 'safe houses' throughout Budapest by declaring them annexes of the Swiss legation and eventually extended diplomatic immunity to 72 buildings. Among these safe houses the most famous one was the 'Glass House', an old industrial building at 29 Vadász Street. Over 3,000 Jews found refuge and protection from their prosecutors here during World War 2.  The Glass House was opened in 2005 for visitors as a museum to document the history of Carl Lutz and his actvities.

For more information, please click here:

http://www.huembwas.org/B_News/CarlLutz/Willimantic/Exhibition.htm