The Greek Institute in Budapest placed a memorial plaque in memory of the rescue activities of the Nákó and Berg families during the Second World War and the assistance they provided to Raoul Wallenberg at 15 Úri utca, District I, writes kibic.hu
Athéna Görög, the head of the institute, recalled that the building played an important role in World War II, when the rescue work of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg was assisted by the residents of the house. The Greek origin of the Nákó family is important for the Greek community in Hungary, which is why they initiated the erection of the memorial plaque.
The house was owned by Lieutenant Colonel Tibor Berg. His daughter, Gloria von Berg, said at the inauguration of the plaque that symbolically, with this plaque, her father has come home and will live here in Hungary.
The plaque was unveiled by Arszeniosz Kardamákisz, the metropolitan of Austria and exarch of Hungary and Central Europe; Chief Rabbi Shlomo Köves, leader of the Association of Hungarian Jewish Communities; and Péter Harrach, KDNP Member of Parliament.
In his speech, Peter Harrach said that it was the solid human dignity of those living in this house that made them accountable to their fellow human beings. With the inauguration of this plaque, we are celebrating a general “ancient human value,” the responsibility of saving people, he said.
Metropolitan Arszeniosz spoke of remembering people who opened the door to their home and their hearts, adding that he was proud that Greek Orthodoxy had always chosen the right path when it came to our Jewish fellow human beings, whether in Greece or Hungary. We must turn to our fellow human beings with love and dignity, respect the opinions of others and be open to dialogue, he emphasized.
Chief Rabbi Shlomo Köves recalled that according to the teachings of the Talmud, he who saves the life of a man saves the world. He added that it is very easy to identify with the heroic deeds of the people working in this house, since his two grandmothers also escaped death with the protective passports issued by Raoul Wallenberg.
At a time when worse-than-animal instincts ruled the world and the Nazi horror rolled across Europe, there were people who heroically tried to do something. These may be small acts, but by saving one person at a time, humanity has been saved, Köves said.
In the Úri Street building in Budapest, courtesy of Raoul Wallenberg and the Berg family, many Jews found refuge from the Nazi deportations to concentration camps. Erzsébet Nákó, the secretary of Raoul Wallenberg, also lived in the house during that time.
Pope Francis called for the unity of Jews and Christians, also quoted Radnóti – Neokohn