[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 137 (Saturday, September 28, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1787-E1788]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CHICAGO STREET RENAMED TO HONOR RAOUL WALLENBERG--TRIBUTE TO THE 
                         EFFORTS OF JAN MULLER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 27, 1996

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on the 5th of October in 1981, President 
Ronald Reagan signed bipartisan legislation making Raoul Wallenberg an 
honorary citizen of the United States--the second individual after Sir 
Winston Churchill to be so honored. That legislation, Mr. Speaker, was 
the first bill that I introduced as a Member of Congress, and it was my 
first bill to become law.
  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to bring to the attention of my 
colleagues in the Congress the information that the City Council of 
Chicago--at the request of Jan Muller and the Raoul Wallenberg 
Committee of Chicago--has approved the creation of ``a salient place 
where America can pay tribute to a magnificent Hero--Raoul 
Wallenberg.'' The area, to be named the Raoul Wallenberg Place, is 
located on State Street between Wacker Drive and Lake Street.
  It is most appropriate that we in the United States honor Raoul 
Wallenberg. It was at the request of the Government of the United 
States that Wallenberg--a member of the leading banking family of 
Sweden--left the security and comfort of Stockholm in the summer of 
1944 and traveled to the hell and chaos of Budapest under Nazi 
occupation. Through innovative and creative confrontations with Nazi 
officials, Wallenberg saved the lives of tens of thousands who 
otherwise would have been killed by the Nazi war machine.
  Mr. Speaker, the dedication and the formal renaming of ``The Raoul 
Wallenberg Place'' will take place on Friday, October 4, at 10:30 a.m. 
at the intersection of Wacker Drive and State Street in Chicago. The 
timing of the dedication has been chosen to coincide with the 15th 
anniversary of the signing of the legislation naming Raoul Wallenberg 
an honorary U.S. citizen. The first announcement of the Chicago City 
Council's decision was made on August 4 this year, the 84th birthday of 
Wallenberg. Among those participating in the dedication ceremony next 
week will be Chicago Alderman Burton F. Natarus, Consul General of 
Israel Arthur Avnon, and distinguished representatives of the Jewish 
and Christian communities in the Chicago area.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to pay particular tribute to Jan Muller. This 
tribute to Raoul Wallenberg is in response to a proposal he made to the 
Chicago City Council. Mr. Muller's steadfast

[[Page E1788]]

commitment to honoring Raoul Wallenberg has been an inspiration to all 
throughout the world who honor this great Swedish humanitarian. Jan is 
the founder and president of the Raoul Wallenberg Committee of Chicago, 
an organization that is dedicated to humanitarian education. Mr. Muller 
is the founding president and managing director of the NordicCenter, 
dedicated to enhancing Scandinavian cultural arts and business in North 
America.
  Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in commending Jan 
Muller and the City Council of Chicago for this outstanding and 
appropriate tribute to Raoul Wallenberg.

                          ____________________