Nobel Prize Winner Elie Wiesel Visited Hungary

Laszlo Solyom welcomed the Hungarian-born Nobel Piece Prize awarded writer at the Sandor Palace on December 9.

Wiesel returned to Hungary for the first official visit since the holocaust by the invitation of Rabbi Slomo Koves, executive rabbi of the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation. Next to other topics, Solyom and Wiesel talked about the Hungarian situation of the Jewish people. The President explained, during the fight against prejudices, besides remembering the holocaust, it is essential to make people get acquainted with the positive impact that the culture of Jewish people and the role they played in Hungarian history made.
During his visit Wiesel participated in a conference at the Upper House Chamber of the Hungarian Parliament and met Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai too. He also made a speech to the approximately ten-thousand participants of a major anti-racist gathering held in Faith Hall.

Wiesel lived in Paris after the war as a journalist, wrote essays, short stories and dramas mainly about the eradication of the European Jewish people. He used the word ‘holocaust’ for the first time as it is used today. He moved to New York in 1955. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for speaking out against violence, repression, and racism. He is considered one of the most well-known experts of the history of holocaust