The names of even the greatest men and women can fade with time. Some are never even recognized. The University of Toledo is helping to ensure that a hero of the darkest days of the last century will not be forgotten, with a special exhibit celebrating the life of Raoul Wallenberg.
Wallenberg (1912-1947) was a Swedish architect and diplomat who used his authority to save the lives of tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during the worst days of the holocaust. At war’s end, he was arrested by the Soviets for espionage and died in KGB custody, but in the decades since has been revered as a humanitarian. “It’s the one hundredth anniversary of his birth, so we thought we’d do something special,” says UT’s Dr. Tom Barden, dean of the Honors College.
“He’s not a household name — everybody knows Oskar Schindler, but not as many know of Wallenberg, and he’s just as important a human being [who did heroic things] in a horrible situation.” The exhibit, at the Carlson Library’s entrance, consists of panels chronicling Wallenberg’s life, and was assembled by students, led by Michael Gammo and Alyssa Brown.
The exhibit came about at the suggestion of donor Robert Karp, who established the University’s Raoul Wallenberg Scholar Award in 1987. This year’s award will be presented in a special ceremony at the new exhibit on Wednesday, August 22. The recipient, Carolina Wishner, is a master’s student in public health who has won praise for her medical work both at Chernobyl and in New York on September 11. (See TCP’s cover story on Wishner from the August 31, 2011). Dr. S. Amjad Hussain will also be honored for his community work.
Carlson Library, 2801 W. Bancroft. 419-530-2298. —MD
The names of even the greatest men and women can fade with time. Some are never even recognized. The University of Toledo is helping to ensure that a hero of the darkest days of the last century will not be forgotten, with a special exhibit celebrating the life of Raoul Wallenberg.
Wallenberg (1912-1947) was a Swedish architect and diplomat who used his authority to save the lives of tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during the worst days of the holocaust. At war’s end, he was arrested by the Soviets for espionage and died in KGB custody, but in the decades since has been revered as a humanitarian. “It’s the one hundredth anniversary of his birth, so we thought we’d do something special,” says UT’s Dr. Tom Barden, dean of the Honors College.
“He’s not a household name — everybody knows Oskar Schindler, but not as many know of Wallenberg, and he’s just as important a human being [who did heroic things] in a horrible situation.” The exhibit, at the Carlson Library’s entrance, consists of panels chronicling Wallenberg’s life, and was assembled by students, led by Michael Gammo and Alyssa Brown.
The exhibit came about at the suggestion of donor Robert Karp, who established the University’s Raoul Wallenberg Scholar Award in 1987. This year’s award will be presented in a special ceremony at the new exhibit on Wednesday, August 22. The recipient, Carolina Wishner, is a master’s student in public health who has won praise for her medical work both at Chernobyl and in New York on September 11. (See TCP’s cover story on Wishner from the August 31, 2011). Dr. S. Amjad Hussain will also be honored for his community work.
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Carlson Library, 2801 W. Bancroft. 419-530-2298. —MD
