The opening of the Robert Olschwanger caricatures exhibition took place on May 5, 2008, at the Ev. Vaterunser Gemeinde, protestant Church of Berlin.
The event was organized jointly by the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation and the Vaterunser Gemeinde Church under the helm of the curator, Pastor Annemarie Werner.
Distinguished personalities of the Jewish community in Berlin, various churches and members of the diplomatic corps, were among the guests, including the Ambassador of Peru in Berlin, Prof. Dr. Dr. Federico Kauffman-Doig; the Ambassador of Argentina in Berlin, Dr. Guillermo Nielsen; The General-Superintendent of the Berlin Protestant Church, Mr Martin-Michael Passauer; Rabbiner Ernst Stein; Monsignore Toepel, Mr Freddy Hertzberg, as well as members of the Maiman family, relatives of Robert Olschwanger. Mrs Michelle Maiman read aloud a letter from the Israeli embassy in Berlin.
Pastor Werner greeted the audience followed by brief speeches by Rabbiner Stein, Mr Danny Rainer, who flew specially from Israel to represent the IRWF, General-Superintendent Passauer and Ambassador Nielsen.
Following a refreshment the audience went up to the Exhibition Hall and was able to admire the 200 caricatures in display.
Robert Hans Olschwanger´s mother was related to the founder of the renowned German newspaper ”Frankfurter Zeitung”, predecessor of the ”Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. His father died when Robert was still a boy.
Robert Hans Olschwanger grew up as a person without citizenship. He attended schools in Berlin’s Wilmersdorf neighborhood and lived in the neighborhood of Charlottenburg. His scripts shows his humanistic education. In his twenties began to work for the Frankfurter Zeitung.
During the Nazi regime he was not allowed to work in German newspapers.
His sister emigrated to Perú and then rescued him with an official work permit. He worked as political caricaturist for the biggest newspapers in Perú.
Inside the Vaterunser Kirche is placed the Memorial Mural dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
