The idea of naming Raoul Wallenberg a Lyceum of the Uruguayan capital belongs to the congressman Dr. Nahum Bergstein and was voted unanimously by the Legislative Power, in National Assembly.

The ceremony counted with the presence of Bergstein as well as the General Director of Secondary Education Council, Jorge Carbonell; the Advisor of the Central Direction Council of the National Public Administration, Minister Sirio Nadruz; of the former President of Uruguay and the Honorary Member of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, Dr. Luis Alberto Lacalle and Jean Pierre Bendahan, Vice-president of the IRWF.

Besides, the members of the accredited diplomatic corps, representatives of the Jewish community and the Association of Holocaust Survivors, teachers, students and parents were also present.

The Headmaster of the Lyceum 53, Ph. D. Isabel Jauregui, was in charge of the ceremony.

After the entry of the standard-bearers and the singing of the National Anthem performed by the School chorus, Dr. Nahum Bergstein started the ceremony and he described Raoul Wallenberg whom he defined as ”Hero without guns and without a grave”.

Next the General Director of Secondary Education, Jorge Carbonell spoke and closed the oratory Mr. Jean Pierre Bendahan, Vice-president of the IRWF, who presented a sculpture by the Argentine artist Norma D’Ippolito to the Headmaster of the Lyceum, and two Wallenberg commemorative medals to the Headmaster and to Congressman Bergstein.

Once the speeches were over, the standard-bearers left and the march ”My flag” was sung, an allusive plaque was unveiled at the main entrance of the Lyceum.

The Lyceum 53 is a wide building, developed in two floors and built in 1999. A thousand students of 12 to 15 years old attend classes in it. It is placed in the Eastern side, in Gauviyú Street, half a block from Luis Alberto de Herrera Avenue.

On August 4, the day of the 91st anniversary of Wallenberg’s birthday, the General Director of ORT University of Uruguay, Charlotte Strawszynski de Grünberg , who spent her childhood in Belgium hiding from the Nazis, and Dr. Miguel Bresciano, Director of Study Affairs of the ORT University of Uruguay, laid flowers next to the monument of the Swedish diplomat installed in the Battle Park.

In addition to the ceremony in the Argentine capital, the Wallenberg Foundation held on that same day similar commemorative ceremonies in New York, Tel Aviv, Montevideo and Santiago de Chile.

A sizable crowd, made of religious and community leaders, regular students of secondary schools, representatives of non-governmental organizations, diplomats, educational and government organizations attended the ceremony at the Ruben Dario Square.

The Swedish Ambassador to Argentina, Madeleine Ströje-Wilkens; the Mayor of the City of Buenos Aires, Dr. Anibal Ibarra and the Vice-president of the Wallenberg Foundation, Dr. Natalio Wengrower presided the ceremony and delivered speeches.

In the center stage the following personalities were present: Guillermo Olivieri, Secretary of Religion, in representation of the President of the Nation, Dr. Néstor Kirchner; Gabriela Alegre, Director of human rights of the city of Buenos Aires, Salomón Ben Hamú, Chief Rabbi of the Jewish-Argentine community; Monsignor Nicola Girasoli, of the Apostolic Nunciature; Priest Andrés Albertsen of the Danish Church; Rabbi Simón Moguilevsky, of the Libertad Temple; Oscar Vicente, Vice-president of the IRWF and the writer José Ignacio García Hamilton, also on behalf of the IRWF.

Letters of endorsement from different countries were read, specially the ones sent by US Congressman, Tom Lantos; The Israeli Minister of Justice Tommy Lapid and Raoul Wallenberg’s niece, Louise von Dardel.

Laszlo Ladanyi, saved by Wallenberg in 1944 and his granddaughter Yael Beltchi, as well as Tomás Kertesz, also saved by the Swedish diplomat, and his grandson Diego Jedvabnik laid flowers next to the monument remembering Wallenberg.

Undoubtedly, Wallenberg is one of the most important heroes of the Second World War. His rescue actions are a model of solidarity and civic courage beyond geographic or cultural borders. While bombs were raining over the city of Budapest, Hungary, the Swedish diplomat saved about 100,000 people from Nazi persecution.

He was detained by the Soviet army in January 1945. Raoul Wallenberg’s fate still remains a mystery.

The sizable audience included the presence of the Ambassadors to Israel of Sweden, Austria and Guatemala, as well as that of the First Secretary of the Embassy of Hungary in that country.

Mr Daniel Rainer, member of the Executive Board of the IRWF, hosted the moving ceremony in which the Swedish Ambassador to Israel, Mr Robert Rydberg, and Professor Jaime Kreiner, also a member of the IRWF, delivered their speeches.

Mr Rainer read endorsement letters, especially composed for the ocassion by the Israeli Minister of Justice, Mr Yosseff Tommy Lapid, -who together with his mother was saved by Raoul Wallenberg-, and by Ms Louise Von Dardel, niece of the diplomat who disappeared in 1945.

In a emotive culmination, delegations of the IRWF, the survivors, as well as youngsters from the Youth Movement Hanoar Haoved v’Halomed, Ken Borochov, Givatayim, and the Hadassim Boarding School, placed flowers at the statue.

Speech of Ambassador Robert Rydberg

Allow me first of all to convey my sincere thanks to the organizers of this ceremony, and to each and everyone participating here today to commemorate the 91st birthday of Raoul Wallenberg.

This is an important occasion. We are again reminded of the horrors of Nazi Europe, the crimes committed against Jews and non-Jews, ultimately the Holocaust. We are also reminded of the over 4 decades it took after 1945 for Central and Europe to be free from the oppressive regimes that captured, held and lied about the fate of Raoul Wallenberg. Most importantly, we are through Wallenberg reminded that individual courage and morale strength counts and can make a difference.

Let us therefore pledge to make use of this occasion to recommit ourselves to the defence of freedom, democracy and human dignity – values for which Raoul Wallenberg lived, and for which he paid such a high price. Let us in particular pledge to ensure that the Holocaust is never forgotten, so that it may never be repeated. Sweden will continue fully to play its part in international efforts to this end.

Budapest is also the city where Wallenberg was detained by the Soviet Army on January 1945. Since then his whereabouts are still unknown.

The tribute took place beside the Wallenberg Statue, a work of Hungarian artist Imre Varga, placed on the Buda side of the capital of Hungary.

The presentation was held simultaneously with another five ceremonies organized by the IRWF in Buenos Aires, New York, Tel Aviv, Montevideo and Santiago (Chile).

Following Mr. Andreas Sipos -Chairman of the WAH-´s opening, Dr. Ibolya David -vice speaker of the Hungarian Parliament and former Minister of Justice- delivered the first speech that highlighted Wallenberg’s deeds as the ones accomplished by Christians who saved Jewish people.

A letter of endorsement signed by Madam Louise Von Dardel, niece of Wallenberg, was read aloud.

Dr. Marcos Resnitzky, volunteer and special envoy of the IRWF to Hungary, delivered a moving speech where he recalled not only Wallenberg’s feats but also the atrocities perpetrated in Hungary by Nazis and Soviets alike. He also pointed out that today´s terrorism has similar roots as the one of by the regimes conducted by Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.

Afterwards, Dr. Resnitzky presented the Wallenberg Medal, specially coined by the IRWF, to Dr. Wimmmer Gyulane and to Andreas Sipos, on behalf of the WAH.

Representatives of the US and Israeli embassies, among others dignataries, attended the ceremony. Professor Tibor Vamos, President of the Hungarian Holocaust Foundation, also were present at the celebration.

Poems were read and music performed at the end of the ceremony.

TV stations were also present. National Television (MTV12), the Hungarian News Channel (HIR TV) and Duna TV broadcasted the ceremony.

After the ceremony members of the WAH presidium and Dr. Resnitzky visited other Wallenberg memorial places accompannied by Mr Ferenc Orosz, former Chairman of the AWH.

The ceremony was carried out on the 91st birthday of the ”Hero without a grave”, under the co-ordination of the member of the IRWF, Mr. Amikan Doron, next to Wallenberg’s commemorative monument, placed under the central strip of Américo Vespucio avenue, close to the residence of the Swedish Embassy to the Chilean capital.

The Business Attaché of the Swedish Embassy, Mrs. Lena Nordström, the Israeli Ambassador, Yossi Regev; the Mayor of Vitacura, Raúl Torrealba; representatives of the CREJ (Representative Committee of Jewish Entities); of the Hungarian community in Chile (MASZE); as well as community and religious leaders and leaders of non governmentalorganization were present.

After the speeches of Mrs. Nordström, and of the Ambassador of Israel and Mr. Doron, the attending public laid flowers next to Wallenberg’s statue. The ceremony ended with a minute of silence.

Speech of Lena NordströmBusiness Attaché of the Swedish Embassy to Santiago de Chile.

Mr. Ambassador of Israel
Mr. Mayor of Vitacura
Mr. Vice-president of the Jewish Community

Ladies and gentlemen,

For me it is a great honor to represent the Ambassador of Sweden in this ceremony held in memory of the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg. Many Swedes have memories of their own about Raoul Wallenberg’s actions and of many other Swedish diplomats who helped to save lives at that time. I also grew up with a story of my own, my aunt Natja, who was saved from a concentration camp in Poland, her native country, and arrived in Sweden in what was called a Bernadotte bus, the caravans of buses that belonged to the Red Cross.

Raoul Wallenberg was a man who fought against persecution and inhumanity. He sacrificed everything to save thousands and thousands of human lives during a dark time of world history. Raoul Wallenberg is now honored in the whole world and he symbolizes the fight for humanitarian ideals and the respect for human rights, beginning with the right to life.

I want to emphasize the importance of this monument erected here in Santiago in memory of Raoul Wallenberg, as in many other parts of the world, so that we always have in mind his life and actions for mankind.

Thank you very much.