On Saturday 19 November 2005, the Jewish Museum Berlin will proudly present Heinz Berggruen and Otto Graf Lambsdorff with the Jewish Museum Award for Understanding and Tolerance. The Museum presents this award annually to individuals who have promoted tolerance and understanding in an exceptional way.

Heinz Berggruen is honored as a symbolic figure of reconciliation in German-Jewish history. His return from exile in 1996 and the handing over to the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation of his collection of worldwide importance were not only of great significance to his hometown Berlin but also a generous conciliatory gesture towards Germany.

Otto Graf Lambsdorff will receive the award for his dedication as negotiator in the talks regarding compensation of slave laborers in the Nazi era. Graf Lambsdorff succeeded in securing the setting up of a Federal Foundation supported by the German economy and the Federal Government, enabling as many living victims as possible to receive compensation without delay. This achievement earned the former Federal Minister for Economic Affairs thanks and recognition across all national committees and political parties as well as in an international context.

The presentation of the award will take place once more within the framework of the traditional gala dinner held at the Jewish Museum Berlin. Michael Naumann, editor of Die Zeit, will hold the laudatio for Heinz Berggruen and Salomon Korn, vice-president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, will deliver the speech honoring Otto Graf Lambsdorff.

A reception in the exhibition “Chrismukkah. The Stories of Christmas and Hannukkah” will commence the evening, followed by the award ceremony in the Concert Hall of the Museum’s Old Building. The gala dinner which concludes the evening also supports a worthy cause: the proceeds will go towards the Museum’s educational programs for children and young people. As at the preceding anniversary dinners, the guest list once more comprises prominent figures from the worlds of art, culture, politics, and business.